Big Sky Love
by RedLion2
Summary: A young woman returns to her home in the Big Sky country, where an old love and new problems await her. 1xR
1. Chapter 1

I do not own _Gundam Wing_ or its characters.

I started this story solely for my own enjoyment, but thought maybe some of you might like it, too. Yes, it's an A/U.

Big Sky Love

Chapter One

The dirt road was rough, throwing the Toyota SUV around a little. Relena Darlian clung to the steering wheel, gently guiding the blue truck. _Things haven't changed much_, she mused. Along the road ran barbed wire fence, three strands high, and she could just make out the brown shapes of Hereford cattle.

She slowed the truck down as she went around a small curve. _Only another mile._ The anger she had tamped down all week started clawing at her, and she reached over to turn up the radio, trying to drown it out. But the anger was biting, and bringing with it a screaming sense of injustice. _I don't belong here. How can he ask me to do this?_

A horse and rider appeared along the rutted road on her left, and she automatically slowed down. The horse was a well-built Paint, a beautiful blue roan and white gelding. The rider raised a hand and shoved his cowboy hat back, and Relena sighed. She pulled to a stop and turned the music down as the rider rode his horse over and motioned to her to roll the window down.

"Didn't think you were coming back," he said. The breeze ruffled the horse's mane.

"Don't have much of a choice, do I?" Relena shot back.

His face clouded for a moment. "I heard about your father. I'm sorry," he said, and his tone held only sincerity.

Relena relented, and said, "So am I." She nodded down the road. "I should get to the ranch."

"Yeah." He gathered the reins and looked hard at her. "If you need anything, let me know."

In spite of her situation and present state of emotions, she smiled. "Thanks, Wufei." He nodded and set the gelding down the road at a slow jog while she drove on toward her father's ranch, the Flying W.

It'd been nice to see Wufei Chang, one of their closest neighbors. He had taken over his parents' ranch, raising fine registered Paint horses and Hereford cattle. _Color_, he'd always said. _Paints ought to have color._ Relena smiled again. She knew some of the others in the area didn't share his view, and continued raising Paints with little to no white markings.

The Flying W came into view, and she stopped the Toyota. Bile rose in her throat, burning and sickening. _Why, Dad? Why did you get sick?_ Her hands clenched into white knuckles on the steering wheel, and she took small breaths. _Come on, Darlian. Keep it together._ Pulling into the driveway, she parked under the stand of pine trees beside the garage and got out.

It was spring now in Montana, and still chilly. Relena pulled her heavy sweater closer around her and headed for the farm house. "Hey, gorgeous." She stopped at the gravelly baritone and turned, meeting the cobalt gaze of one of her oldest friends.

"Hi," she said.

He frowned. "That it? Nothing else to say?"

Relena tried not to be annoyed. "You know I didn't want to come."

"Yeah, too bad your dad got sick." His eyes were cold. "Cuts into your time."

"Duo, please." Relena rubbed at her forehead. Her honey blonde hair was up in a tight ponytail, and the pressure made her head hurt. "This isn't easy for me."

"Not easy on him, either."

"He should've sold this place years ago, after Mom died."

Duo snorted. "So you think he got sick because he kept it? Fresh air and horses are a disease now, huh? Could've fooled me."

"You're being impossible." Relena turned on her high-heeled boot and started walking away.

"Hey, be nice to him, princess. He's had it rough lately," Duo called after her, and tears stung her eyes. "Remember, this isn't about you."

_I don't deserve that._ She opened the door and went into the mud room, making sure the door slammed behind her. This wasn't her fault. She'd told her father to get out. Ranching was hard labor, and not often well-rewarded. She went into the house after taking her boots off, and headed for her father's room.

She poked her head in and saw him propped up in bed. He was reading; she smiled a little when she saw the magazine title: _Farm and Ranch_. He'd always dreamed of having the Flying W in its pages.

"Well, get on in here," he called, startling her. She moved obediently to his bedside, trying not to notice how sick he looked. The cancer had spread in the last three months, making him look considerably older than his 54 years.

"Hi, Daddy," she said, realizing how quiet everything seemed.

He studied her for a moment. "I know you're not happy about being here, but I'm glad you came." His blue eyes, so much like her own, were calm, belying the storm in his body.

"I couldn't not come. You need me." _For the first time in your life._

"Bah. I have Duo," he told her. "Best foreman I ever had." He gestured to the magazine. "Planning on getting in this, you know. Do one of those diaries."

Relena sighed. "Dad, you hate writing. And you can't ride like you used to."

His eyes narrowed and he jabbed a finger at her. "Don't tell me what I can and can't do, princess. I'm the boss. Don't you forget it."

"How can I? You're always reminding me." Relena turned to go. "Nice to see you, Daddy. You really haven't changed."

"Well, you have. Turned into one of those snooty city folk you know I hate," he called after her.

Relena ignored him as she wandered back to the kitchen. _City folk._ She shook her head, scowling. What right did he have to treat her this way? _I came back for him. Why can't he just be nice? Just once?_ But Tom Darlian wasn't someone who kept his true feelings buried. No, a person always knew where they stood with him.

She gazed out the large window over the sink. Three horses stood quietly in the small corral; a bay gelding and two sorrels. All three were Arabians, the "Horse of the Gods," her father had always said. She tended to agree with him, and decided to go out and visit. It was better than being in the house with a thousand unpleasant memories.

The horses didn't acknowledge her until she climbed over the wooden fence and dropped down inside. The bay walked over and sniffed at her hair, and she patted his neck, admiring the arch of it. It'd been a long time since she'd been around horses, and the sudden urge to ride took her by surprise.

"Nice horses, huh?" Duo was leaning against the fence, a small grin on his face.

She nodded. "They're beautiful."

"How'd it go?" He jerked a thumb at the house. Relena scowled. "Well, what do you expect? The only time you come home is—"

"I don't want to hear it."

"Maybe you should. Really hear it."

"And maybe you should leave it alone. Don't you have work to do? You _are_ the foreman, after all." Her words were intended to cut, just as his were.

Duo grinned. "Well, you haven't lost any of your spirit, that's good. Thought maybe being a drone would siphon it away."

"Excuse me?" Relena's eyes widened. "I am not a drone!"

"No?" He jerked a hand toward the Toyota. "You pick that thing out on your own?"

"I love that truck." Relena lifted her chin.

"Tell me corporate America didn't buy it for you."

"What?"

"Come on. Tell me your boss didn't talk you into it. I mean, look at it. It looks like an R/C toy." He laughed, taking some of the sting out of his criticism. "That's a _real_ truck."

She didn't have to look to know he was pointing at his black Ford F-250. "It looks like its on steroids."

Duo nodded. "Exactly. It's a beast. A monster. It's a can-do truck." He sounded like a little boy at his first monster truck rally, and Relena couldn't help but laugh. "Now that's what I've been looking for." He grinned at her. "Come on. You can give me a hand feeding this morning."

"Okay." She gave the bay one last pat and headed back to the fence. She climbed up and over and landed next to Duo, who gave her a quick but fierce hug.

"Missed you," he said, and she could only nod, overcome by a lump in her throat. Duo patted her back. "Hey, don't get all emotional on me. After all, I'm gonna put you to work."

"I know." She followed him to the massive barn and inside to the feed room. "Who else works here now?"

"Uh, Hilde gives me a hand now and then," he told her. "Grab that red bucket."

"You two still seeing each other?" Relena asked, watching him as she picked up the bucket.

"Yeah, off and on. It's hard, with her racing."

Hilde Schbeiker, another old friend, was a champion barrel racer. She was also the only girl Duo Maxwell had never been able to rope.

"I'm sure. But who else did Dad hire to work here? I know it's not just you."

Duo turned away to open a storage container and then held his hand out. "Can I have the bucket?"

"Sure, after you answer me." His lack of response was starting to make her uneasy.

He finally looked at her, and the regret in his eyes chilled her. "I'm not sure if I should tell you, gorgeous."

"Just tell me." Her heart was pounding. _Please. Please don't let it be him._

"He really needed the work, Lena. Your dad...well, he felt sorry for him, I think. After the accident...."

"_Duo._"

"Heero." He spoke quietly, as if the name alone could hurt her. And it did, bringing back hundreds of thousands of small memories, all revolving around her first love.

Her only love.

"Hey," Duo said, reaching to touch her shoulder. "He isn't here right now. He had some business to take care of." The words were meant to soothe, but they only made it worse. Heero would be back. Relena handed Duo the bucket and watched as he measured grain into it.

She had millions of questions, but none she could ask. At least not without rousing suspicion. And she didn't want that._ It shouldn't matter. We made our decisions._ Their life together was in a different lifetime, one where everything fit nice and neat. Perfect, like a barrel pattern.

Duo hefted the bucket. "Come on. They start getting impatient." They went out into the aisle, and immediately there was noise. A black head with a star appeared over the first stall door. "This is Ace. Say hi, buddy." The Arab gelding snorted and tried to thrust his nose into the bucket. "Yeah, yeah. Back off." Duo opened the door and went in, scooping some grain into the gelding's feeder.

Relena followed Duo down the aisle, listening as he told her each horse's name. But her mind and thoughts were far from the present. _Heero. Why did it have to be him?_ After all this time, why now, when her life was already in a flat spin? She wondered if she should be happy to see him._ It's been forever._ A small smile touched her lips before fading. _No. Of course I shouldn't be happy._ Not after the way they'd left things. Not after they'd broken their promises to one another.

"Lena?"

Duo was staring at her, and when she met his eyes, he recoiled. "Hey, come on. It's not that bad. It's been a long time."

"We haven't seen each other since graduation," she whispered.

"So it's about time, then." Duo smiled. "Come on. I need to get the hay."

She followed him, but his enthusiasm for his work didn't lift her spirits. _Graduation._ It'd been eight years, a lifetime ago. How could she face him now?

Duo grabbed a wheel barrow and threw two hay bales on it. "I feed the ones outside first, since we don't grain them," he explained as he wheeled his load out to the corral. The breeze had turned into a full-fledged wind, and Relena pulled her sweater tighter around her. Duo noticed and chuckled. "Yeah, you forget how chilly it gets here, especially at night."

"I know. Glad I remembered my winter coat." They stopped at the corral, and the three geldings wandered over. Duo threw the two bales over the fence and climbed in after it. Breaking them apart, he made three hay piles. Relena smiled, knowing that even with three piles, the horses would still fight.

Duo climbed back over the fence and wheeled the barrow back to the barn. "Okay, here's where you help. Three flakes to each horse," he directed after loading up the wheelbarrow again.

Relena grabbed some hay and stepped into Ace's stall. He pushed his nose into her arms and took some hay, and she gently pushed his head away. As she put the hay in the corner manger, she inhaled, the smell of fresh hay and horse shooting through her. She closed her eyes, willing herself to remember the good times she'd had on the Flying W while growing up.

"Gets to you, don't it?" Duo's soft tone broke her quieting thoughts. He leaned against the stall door, and smiled at her.

"Yeah, it does," she said.

"Think about staying?"

Relena shook her head. "No. This isn't me, Duo."

"Used to be," he reminded her. His eyes, normally full of mischief, were solemn.

She left the stall. "Come on. Let's just finish up."

"Whatever, princess."

She spun on him, moving like a cobra. "_Don't_ call me that! No one is allowed to call me that!" Hot tears sprang into her sapphire eyes, and she angrily wiped them away.

Duo stared at her. "Lena, calm down. I didn't mean anything by it."

"Maybe not, but I'm tired of being called that. " She moved away, grabbing another arm full of hay. But she knew he wouldn't let her get away with such an outburst.

"Oh, no. You can't unload like that and expect me to drop it." Duo grabbed her arm and stopped her. "What's your deal? Being home really bothering you that much?"

She didn't want to meet his eyes, because she knew she'd break down. "My dad always calls me that," she whispered. "And that's not what or who I am." Heat burned her face, and she couldn't bear to look at Duo. She didn't want his pity or sympathy or whatever else he cared to offer. _I don't belong here anymore._

Duo reached out and tipped her chin up. "Why do you let him get to you? You never used to," he said softly.

She shook her head and felt the tears start. Duo took the hay out of her arms and dropped it back into the wheelbarrow before pulling her to him.

"Hey, it's going to be okay," he said.

She sighed and pulled away, not able to let down that easily. "It's not, Duo. Nothing will ever be like it was, and you know it. I walked away eight years ago. I'm not planning to walk back." She shook her head at him and left the barn.


	2. Chapter 2

I do not own _Gundam Wing_ or its characters.

Big Sky Love

Chapter Two

Heero Yuy swung down out of the dark leather roping saddle, grimacing when his right leg made contact with the ground. The horse, a dark palomino Quarter Horse gelding, stood calm and quiet. It was exactly what he wanted to see.

"Well?"

"I'll take him." Heero led the palomino over to the gate and out of the arena. He began untacking the horse, appreciating the quiet disposition of the gelding. Far too many roping horses got overexcited and nervous for his liking.

"You want him at the Flying W?" A tall man with a shock of graying blonde hair stood behind Heero. Heero nodded as he eased the saddle off the horse and onto the ground. "Good. I'll have Quatre bring him over this afternoon." Heero nodded again. "Shame about Tom, isn't it? Works hard his whole life, and ends up sick at the end. Hear his daughter's back in town, too. Always thought it was a shame you two never got back together, and—"

Heero glared at him over his shoulder, and Mr. John Winner backed off, raising his hands palms up.

"I'll go get the sale papers," he said, and hurried off to the big barn.

Heero finished untacking the gelding and began brushing him down. He knew John was just making small talk, but he didn't want to be reminded of..._her_. The girl he'd left behind, years ago. _She belongs in the past._ But keeping her there was going to be a problem. _Why did she have to come back?_ It was a stupid question; her father was on his last legs. Of course she'd come home for that._ Yeah, she'd come back for him, and not for_—He shook his head, angry at where his thoughts were heading. _I didn't need her then, and I sure don't need her now._

"Here we go, son. Quatre can bring him by about two," John said, bringing an official-looking paper over to him. "He can bring the registration papers then, too." Heero nodded and read the sales agreement over before tucking it into his worn jean jacket.

"Thanks. I'll give him the check when he brings the horse." Heero shook John's hand and headed toward his beat-up Chevy, ignoring the limp that slowed his long stride. Putting the truck into drive, he headed toward the Flying W, hoping not to run into _her_ anytime soon.

* * *

"You can't avoid her, man. She's going to be here for awhile," Duo told him an hour later. They were in the barn, and Heero wanted to be anywhere but there.

"We've avoided each other for eight years," he said, sipping from a Styrofoam cup. The coffee was hot and black, like it should be.

Duo sighed and rolled his eyes. "Look, she's hurting. Tom's not going to last much longer."

Heero's eyes slitted. He knew his friend was playing to his emotions, but it wasn't going to work. "She doesn't need my help."

"You know what? You're right." Duo walked away and added over his shoulder, "Guess I'll have to be there for her."

Heero swallowed the last of his coffee and didn't acknowledge him. If Duo wanted to help her along, he wasn't going to stop him. _Keep her out of my way._ He crushed the cup and threw it into a garbage can they kept in the tack room. It was just eleven; he could get some of the riding fence done before Quatre showed up with the gelding.

Grabbing a black halter and lead, he headed out to the back pasture and whistled. Four horses, all full-blooded Arabians, came galloping up to him, making his smile. He selected a dark iron gray mare and haltered her. She followed along behind him willingly, and that made him happy as well. Why couldn't things be this easy all the time? _Horses don't talk back. Don't expect things from you that you don't want to give._

He sighed as he tied the mare and started brushing her. His thoughts, traitors that they were, kept wandering back to _her_. _I don't need to think about her. She's not here for me._ Heero scowled and grabbed a red saddle blanket and set it over the mare's back, smoothing it out. _Women._ Saddling and bridling the Arab, he led her out of the barn and mounted.

"Check the east pasture," Duo called. He had just stepped out of the large tool shed.

"I know." Duo may have been foreman, but Heero knew his job. He reined the mare to the east.

"Wouldn't hurt you to be cordial," Duo said, but Heero ignored him. There was little sense in responding, since Duo wanted more from him than he wanted to give. He pulled his hat down low over his eyes and let the horse take him where he needed to go.

* * *

There had been no fences down, but Heero wasn't totally satisfied with his ride. Thoughts of _her_ had kept popping randomly into his head, and not all of them had been bad. No, there'd been plenty of good ones. Memories of a time when he thought he could rope the stars, and she could run the barrels forever.

_Hmph._ Heero scowled and urged the mare into a gallop. They were almost back to the house; he could make out a gleaming silver stock trailer. _Quatre._ He liked John's son well-enough, but wasn't in the mood for any questions. And there would be, undoubtedly.

"So here he is." Duo was leaning against the stock trailer, smiling. But Heero saw the venom in his cobalt eyes, and knew his best friend wasn't done with him yet. He stopped the mare and swung down, feeling his right knee buckle a little on impact. Tossing the reins to Duo, he ignored him and walked over to Quatre.

The blonde young man grinned, but his aquamarine eyes were guarded, wary. Heero supposed he had every right to feel that way. "I have the check in my truck," he said, not waiting for any reply.

"I'll unload him, then." Quatre moved to the back of the new trailer and undid the latches, swinging the door open. After letting down the ramp, he climbed inside, unclipped the gelding's lead, and backed him down.

Duo whistled. "Nice."

"He should be. He's got the best blood," Quatre said. Heero limped over and handed Quatre the check, taking the lead from him. "Dad told me you're planning to start roping again."

Heero's eyes narrowed. "Bought the horse, didn't I?"

Quatre nodded. He looked at the ground, and Heero knew he'd hurt his feelings. _So what? He's the one who asked a stupid question._ But no matter how much he wanted to ignore his younger friend, he couldn't.

"I want to start practicing," he said quietly.

Quatre smiled, his good nature bounding back. "That's great. Oh, and I gave the registration papers to Duo."

"Thanks." Heero turned away and started leading the gelding toward the barn. Tom had a small lean-to off the back, and it would provide adequate shelter during the day. He heard the other two talking, and figured he was the subject. _Or her. Stop it._ Heero growled in protest of his thoughts, not wanting to remember anything about her. _The way she smelled, how she used to laugh, the look in her eyes when she was racing for home...._

"Stupid. It doesn't matter anymore. Maybe it never did."

"Might think you're going loco, you keep talking to yourself." Tom stood around the back of the barn, startling Heero. The older man stared at him for a few moments before looking off to the distance.

Heero ignored him and led the gelding into the small pasture and around the enclosure, letting him check the fence with his nose. Once he was satisfied the horse knew the area, he slipped the halter off. The palomino moved away and began grazing.

"Never understood why people think they need stock horses to work cattle," Tom said, coming over to lean on the wood fence.

Heero didn't answer. Tom Darlian was a well-respected rancher in these parts, but he was surly and out-spoken. It was always better to let him go then talk to him.

"That daughter of mine is back. Had to come make sure I wasn't faking." Tom withdrew a handkerchief and coughed into it. He looked at Heero, his light blue eyes cold. "My sweet little rodeo princess."

Heero's hands clenched around the halter. _Ignore him._ Tom wanted to rile him up. But he needed this job, no matter what torment he had to endure. And Tom could put out torment like no one else Heero had ever met. It was small wonder that _she'd_ wanted to get far away from the Flying W. He turned and walked away, gritting his teeth when Tom made a stinging comment about his right leg.

Quatre had left by the time Heero got out of the barn, and Duo was standing by Heero's old truck. His hat was pulled low over his eyes, but Heero knew his friend wasn't sleeping.

"Nice gelding," Duo said.

Heero nodded and opened the tailgate of the truck. Duo had already taken care of the mare Heero had ridden earlier, and the old International tractor needed some work. It had to be done before they needed it for hay hauling.

"So were you planning on telling me about this?" Duo actually sounded angry.

Heero grabbed his tool box and slammed the tailgate. He glanced at Duo and shrugged.

Duo threw his hands up in the air. "Fine. Whatever." He started storming toward the house, and Heero's Prussian eyes slitted.

_Is he going to talk to—_

The back door swung open and Relena Darlian stepped out.

* * *

"Hey, gorgeous," Duo called, and Relena looked up, almost feeling ready to smile at him. But her eyes saw past him, and her stomach bucked and her pulse started pounding. Duo looked at her hard, and then turned around.

Heero was still as marble, staring, his toolbox forgotten in his hands. Relena couldn't breathe. _Now? How am I supposed to deal with this? With...him?_ After eight years, she thought she'd be able to handle this better. _So much for that. Come on, you have to move. Don't let him see you like this!_ She forced her eyes away from him and focused on Duo.

"Duo? Did you want to see me?" she asked, watching as he slowly turned back to her. His eyes were wide, a hint of worry in them.

"Uh, I just wanted to let you know we eat supper at six," he said, and she wondered if that's what he'd _really_ wanted to tell her.

"Do we feed you, or do you cook?" she asked, studiously avoiding Heero, who had set his toolbox down and was watching her.

Duo grinned. "I do cook, actually, but in your kitchen. The bunk house doesn't have one."

Relena just nodded. Heero had come closer, and even at this distance, her stomach was dancing. He looked good, in his beat-up jean jacket and Levis, and she wondered vaguely if he was looking at her and thinking she looked good._ Stop. Stop right there. He was a lifetime ago._ And that was the hard truth. Too many things had happened between them, and there couldn't be a way to go back.

"So six, sharp. I'll see you then." Not knowing what else to do, she turned and went back into the house, letting the screen door slam behind her.

* * *

"So that was awkward," Duo said with a sigh. He'd wanted things to go better the first time they saw each other again, but not surprisingly, it'd gone worse. He looked at Heero, and sympathy raged through him. The guy looked shell-shocked. _Don't blame him. Eight years, and after what they went through..._ "Huh?" He stared at Heero, who was scowling.

"Come on. We need to get that tractor running right."

"Are you serious? You just saw—"

"Doesn't matter." Heero glared at him. "Come on."

"Doesn't matter," Duo grumbled as he followed him. Of course it mattered. After eight years, it mattered a whole lot. But he knew neither was ready to acknowledge that. _Still, it's a shame. They need to put aside what happened._

"Don't start," Heero said, and his voice was cold and dead.

"What do you mean?" Duo knew what he meant, all right, but wanted him to say it. When he didn't, Duo figured it was game-on. "She looks good, don't she? Although I don't think she eats like she should. And did you see what she's driving? That R/C thing? We need to get her back on a horse. I mean, I bet she hasn't been on one since—" He broke off when Heero rounded on him, his eyes blue flames.

"I said don't start. I don't want to talk about her!" Heero thundered.

Duo's eyes slitted. "Don't act like you don't care, Yuy. I saw the way you two looked at each other. It's still there. And you both feel it." He shoved his cowboy hat down over his eyes and strode past his friend. "Come on. Let's work on the tractor." Knowing Heero wasn't about to say anything else, he at least hoped he'd be thinking about Relena.

They needed each other more than they realized.

* * *

Relena sat on the blue plaid couch and stared out the big bay window. Her mother, Sarah, had insisted they put it in when they'd remodeled. Relena had been ten at the time, and hadn't seen what the big deal was. She frowned, thinking of the battle her parents had waged over the window.

_So stupid. Why couldn't he let her have that?_ He had finally given in, but it'd been a hollow victory; even at ten, Relena had seen that._ And I sided with him._ But back then, she'd been close to her father. The bitterness was overwhelming, causing tears to hover in her eyes. But crying wasn't an option. She hadn't come back to shed waterworks over a man who had helped wreck her life.

Pushing herself up off the couch, she wiped at her eyes and padded out into the kitchen. _So six is when they eat._ She pulled open the refrigerator door, and saw the beer, and more ugly memories threatened to resurface. _No. Don't let them start._ She looked for food but saw nothing of use, and shut the door, sighing.

The back door opened, and she swung toward it. Tom came in, huffing a bit, his face sallow and sick. She backed up a couple of steps, and he saw her, a thin smile stretching his lips. "Well, princess, you going to cook for your dear old dad tonight?"

"I don't think so." Who was he to ask her that? "I don't even cook for myself." And that was the truth. She lived on take-out and diet soda, like all her friends did. _I wonder what Dorothy and Sylvia are doing right now?_ She missed them something fierce.

Tom coughed and sat at the table. "Thought you looked a bit skinny."

"Thanks." She turned to leave the kitchen – she didn't need this.

"This place will be yours, you know."

The words stopped her cold, and she turned back to him. He wasn't looking at her; his eyes were closed as he coughed again.

"Won't be long now, you know. Then you'll be rid of me. You can sell the ranch, forget about all of this," he said.

Anger burned down her body. "Don't you dare do that to me. Don't!" she said, color high in her cheeks.

"Do what?"

"Put a guilt trip on me!"

"Why would I do that? Because you never come home? Left here with no looking back?" Tom's voice was rising.

Relena took a deep breath. She didn't need this right now. "What did I have to come home to, Dad? You didn't want me here. You didn't want _anyone_ here."

"Oh, that's a load of crap. You left because I sold that damn horse. You couldn't face anyone around here!"

"That's not why I left!" Relena tried to stop herself, but the pent-up anger and frustration was bubbling, mixing with the sudden urge to get everything out in the open _right now._

"You left because you didn't think you could win again. Admit it! You ran away!" Tom was on his feet again, his face red with exertion.

"I didn't run—"

"Yes you did!"

Relena put a hand to her head. "Dad, I'm not going to fight. I had lots of reasons to leave. Maybe you selling Sky was one—"

"You know it was. You ran out on me, Yuy, and—"

"What's going on in here? We could hear you yelling out at the barn," Duo said. He and Heero appeared behind Tom, startling them both. Duo's eyes were dark and solemn, and Relena wondered just how much he and Heero had actually heard.

"Just having a family meeting," she said, hoping the flame in her cheeks didn't give anything away. The last thing she needed was Duo prying.

"Yeah, right." Duo shook his head, but seemed to drop it. "Tom, we need some parts for the International. I'm going to run in—"

"Take the princess with you," Tom told him.

Duo's eyes shot to Relena, who shook her head. "No. I have things to do. Have Heero go with him." Saying his name was tough; it still stung her tongue and burned her lips.

"Nonsense. Duo, go on." Tom started toward his room. "Go on, get. You got work to do."

Relena sidestepped away as he walked by her, and tried not to think about the fact that Heero was coming toward her, that fierce determination glinting in his eyes. _What is he going to do?_ They hadn't had any contact, including physical, in eight years.

He stopped at the sink and turned the faucet on while grabbing a glass. Relena sighed, causing him to glance at her. She blushed and walked over to Duo.

"So should we go and get this over with?" she asked, hoping he'd agree and let everything else go.

But Duo stared at her, and said, "What were you arguing about?" He spoke quietly, but steel cut through his voice.

"It was nothing." She begged him with her eyes to just let it go.

"Nothing. We heard you in the back barn, Lena. It wasn't 'nothing.'"

She looked down, afraid the tears would jump into her eyes again. How could she tell him what the fight had been about? Especially with Heero right here? _I can't talk about him, or the reasons I left._

"Go get the part." Heero's cool voice chilled her, and she swallowed hard.

"Alright, fine. Last time I try to help around here." Duo turned for the door, and Relena realized she either had to follow or stay here with Heero.

"I'm coming," she said and hurried to put her boots on. No way was she staying here with that chill in the air. Duo waited for her and together they went out to his big Ford, where he opened the door for her. "Thank you," she said, grateful for his manners, and for him.

He looked her in the eyes, and gone was any sign of his usual joking. "I know this is hard on you, but be tough. Hang in there. I'm here to help."

Swallowing the lump in her throat, she leaned over and hugged him, feeling his hard arms come around her and squeeze tight. It felt good, being held. How long had it been? _Two years, I think._ Two years since her last date, and it had gone terribly wrong.

Duo pulled back and said, "Don't worry about your dad. Just do whatever it is you came home to do."

She nodded as he shut the door and went around to get in, but his words haunted her. _Why did I come home?_ Was it really for her father, or had it been for her? She leaned back against the seat and closed her eyes, and tried not to think about it.


	3. Chapter 3

I do not own _Gundam Wing_ or its characters.

Big Sky Love

Chapter Three:

Heero saw Duo lean into the truck and hug Relena, and he clenched his fists. _I don't care._ But the truth, if he acknowledged it, was that he cared a whole heck of a lot. He waited until the truck left the yard before leaving the house, noting that the dead bolt on the door was broken. _Have to change that._ It hadn't been a big deal with just Tom in the house, but he wouldn't have Relena inside with a busted lock.

He made his way out to the old barn, where the heavy equipment was kept, and got back to work on the International. There was no reason he couldn't work on it while Duo was in town, getting the part. _In the truck with Relena._ Heero's jaw tightened as he wrenched on the tractor. _They looked cozy. Wonder how cozy._ Swearing in frustration, he threw the tool and ran a hand over his hair. _Come on, Yuy, get it together. It's not like she's here for you, anyway._

Retrieving the wrench, he got back to work, concentrating on his task. It was hard to do, considering. But he wasn't about to think of Relena, to wonder if, somehow, they could make another go of it. He already knew the answer.

* * *

Duo bought the engine part for the tractor and they headed into town. Relena was restless and edgy, and Duo wanted to get it out of her system. He parked in front of the local bar and shut the Ford off.

"What are we doing here?" Relena asked, but he could tell she knew.

"Buying you the tallest Bud they have. Come on." He got out, ignoring her fervent protests, and walked around to open her door.

"No. I'm not getting out." She wasn't looking at him.

"Fine. I'll carry you in."

"Touch me and die, Maxwell," she said, her teeth gritted.

He grinned. "Love that spirit. Now get out of the truck." When she didn't, he reached for her, knowing full well she wouldn't let him lift her. But it got the end result; she glared at him, told him to back off, and got out on her own.

"It's too early for a drink," she said. They walked to the bar's door, and he ushered her in, one hand on the small of her back.

"Nah. Never." He waved to Roger Barton, the owner and father of one of their good friends.

"This can't be Relena Darlian, all grown up," Roger boomed, reaching out a big hand for her to shake.

"Hello, Mr. Barton," Relena said, shaking his hand firmly.

Roger laughed, a great noise that shook the place. "Mister Barton! Ha! Call me Roger, sweetheart, like everyone else does."

"Okay, Roger." Relena sat at the bar, while Duo made himself comfortable next to her.

"What are we having?" Roger asked, his big green eyes on Duo.

"Ah, the usual."

Roger smiled and turned away. "No problem."

Duo looked at Relena, frowning at how tense she still seemed. "Trowa's the chief of police now," he told her, watching as she turned to him.

"Oh? And does he approve of you getting smashed in the—" She stopped when Roger set a tall frosted glass of root beer in front of her.

"No alcohol until six pm," Roger said. He set one in front of Duo and walked away, whistling loudly.

Duo grinned at her. "You really think I'd get tanked in the afternoon? Gees." He swallowed some of his root beer. "Yeah, that's good stuff."

Relena took a drink and nodded her approval. "So Trowa is the Chief?"

"Yeah. He likes it. Better than being on the road so much."

"I suppose so."

The doubt in her voice riled Duo's temper. "Look, he didn't want to keep roping after...what happened."

"He could've found another partner. Trowa could've made Nationals." Relena's voice was soft and low, but it didn't calm Duo.

"He wouldn't go. Not without Heero." He took a long swallow, wincing as the icy liquid froze his throat.

Relena bit her lip and pushed her glass away. "Is he going to rope again? I saw the Winner rig out in the yard."

Duo rubbed the beads of sweat off his glass. "He's going to start practicing, yeah. But I don't – I don't know if he'll go pro again. The wreck shook him up."

"It would've shaken anyone up," Relena whispered.

Duo sighed. "Yeah." There was no point in rehashing what had happened two years ago. Even now, the image of his best friend being crushed by his horse when the big gelding stumbled and snapped his left front leg was unbearable. "Come on. I gotta get back." He pulled a ten from his wallet and slapped it on the polished bar. "Thanks, Roger," he called.

The big man materialized from a back room. "Good to see you both."

They made their way out to the Ford, and Duo helped Relena in. She smiled, but he knew she didn't mean it. He wasn't sure if she meant anything anymore. Times had changed. _We've all changed_. They drove out of town in silence, and he wondered if maybe silence wasn't the real answer.

* * *

Dinner was quiet that night. Relena wasn't comfortable, but she didn't want to hide. Tom had gone to bed; he'd been shaky and complaining of aches that she knew were in-part to a lifetime in the saddle.

Heero hadn't said one word. He occasionally reached down to touch his right knee. She knew it was the one he'd broken when Forge fell on him. Staring at her plate, she rummaged around in her mind, casting about for something to talk about. _What _can_ we talk about?_ _The weather? Rodeo?_ Rodeo was a banned topic for her, and had been since...._No. I won't think about it._

"Quit stabbing. It's already dead."

She looked up at Duo's sharp words, and flushed. "Sorry."

"Don't be sorry. Just eat." He picked up his glass of milk and took a long swallow. Relena looked down at her plate, knowing the awkwardness was her fault.

_If I wasn't here, they'd probably be talking, maybe even joking around._ Not that Heero had much of a humorous side to him; he was quiet at best and stubbornly silent at his worst. A small smile touched her mouth. _He can be funny, too, sometimes. He could always make me smile._ Of course, after her father had sold her beloved barrel racing horse out from under her, there hadn't been much laughter, or smiles. Not that that had been Heero's fault. _No, I closed everyone off after I lost Sky. _Sky. How long had it been since she'd thought about the beautiful steel gray gelding? _Too long._ But each memory was painful.

"Hey."

She glanced up, and found Heero looking at her, an undecipherable look in his eyes. "What?"

"Eat." He went back to his own food, leaving her feeling chastised like a small child. She pushed her plate away and got to her feet. She didn't need this. "I said eat," Heero growled, and his piercing gaze was locked on her.

"Not hungry." Relena pushed her chair in and paused. Where could she go? The house was no longer a sanctuary, and neither was the barn. _Where would Dor and Syl go? _She knew, of course, exactly where'd they head.

"Where are you going?" Duo asked, suspicion glinting in his eyes.

She shrugged. "For a drive. I need some space." She walked past Heero, who stayed silent, and then Duo. But Duo wouldn't just let her walk out. She had known that, but wished he didn't care so much.

"Lena, come on. Sit down. Talk to us."

She sighed and turned back to face him. The pleading in his voice didn't match the fierceness of his gaze, but she was used to that. "I don't have anything to say," she said. It was the truth.

Duo's eyes narrowed, but he backed off and sat down. "Go, then. But stay out of trouble."

Relena rolled her eyes. It wasn't as if she'd been living in New York City for the last eight years or anything. She turned to leave, and couldn't resist glancing at Heero. He was staring at his plate, and she narrowed her eyes. _Well, what did you expect? Him to adamantly tell you to stay?_

The air outside was brisk, and she shivered while crossing the yard to the Toyota. Putting in her favorite CD, she pulled out onto the bumpy road and headed for town.

* * *

Heero finished eating and set his plate and glass in the sink. He knew Duo was expecting something from him, but there wasn't anything he could say. And his knee was killing him tonight.

"That was fun." Duo also set his tableware in the sink. "You could've said a little more."

"Nothing to say." Heero started out of the kitchen.

"Oh, come on. You've been pining over her since we graduated."

Heero stopped, his muscles tensing. Duo's anger was really getting annoying. He understood it, of course; their group of friends in high school had been very close. Duo was just being protective. "There's nothing between us."

"No? I saw you looking at her. Don't tell me you don't care."

"I don't." Heero left the house, expecting Duo to come after him. But the door remained closed, and he wasn't sure if he was relieved or not. Though he'd never voice it aloud, he _was_ glad Relena had come back. To see her again, hear her voice...a scowl broke his handsome face. _Stop. Don't think about her._ It wasn't like she was staying. Once Tom had passed on, she'd head back to the city. _Where she belongs._ And the Flying W would be sold. _Probably to John Winner or Ken Wallace_. John was a decent man, if self-absorbed, but Ken was only out to make money, and didn't care who he stepped on to get it. If Ken bought the place, Heero would quit.

He went out to the back corral, where his new roping horse was, and whistled. The palomino trotted over to the fence, and Heero clipped a lead to his halter. He had bought the horse; now it was time to get back, literally, into the saddle.

Duo was in the barn when he brought the gelding in. "You workin' or trailing?" he asked, and gone was the former animosity.

Heero clipped crossties to the horse's halter, and looked at his best friend. "Neither. My knee's sore tonight." He _had_ thought about riding tonight, but the ache in his right knee told him it was a bad idea.

"Oh." Duo's eyes held concern. "It's getting better, though, right?"

"Yeah." The doctor had said it would never be right again, but Heero didn't need to tell anyone that. There was enough pity as it was. He went to the tack room and grabbed a box filled with brushes and a hoof pick. Duo was scratching the gelding's neck when he came out.

"Quiet," Duo said.

"Yeah."

"You going to talk to Trowa?"

Heero hesitated. "Not sure."

"If you rope, you know he'll do it." Duo finished petting the horse and stepped back. He seemed to be waiting for Heero to say something, but Heero knew there wasn't anything _to_ say. It had all been said.

"Well, I'll leave you to it. Got feeding to do." Duo walked by him, whistling some old rock song.

Heero grunted and set to giving the palomino a good brushing.

* * *

Relena parked the Toyota down the street from the bar, and closed her eyes. _What am I doing?_ She wasn't seventeen anymore, meeting her high school friends after a local rodeo. Still, where else could she go? Taking a deep breath and clinging to whatever moxie she had left, she got out of the Toyota.

Immediately, she heard a whistle and stopped. "Well, well. Ain't you a pretty little thing." Relena looked to her right and saw four young men, about her age, with leering smiles and cowboy hats.

"Cat got your tongue, honey?" one of them asked, and his friends chortled.

Relena wasn't amused. She was used to dealing with jerks like this. "Not interested." Walking toward the bar, she heard them following her, but didn't panic. It was still relatively light out, and she had a few moves up her sleeve, courtesy of a friend in New York.

"Aw, come on, sugar. It's a Saturday night," the same guy said, so Relena walked a bit faster. The men were catching up to her, but she saw the door to the bar open, and smiled.

"Hey, Trowa," she said, and the tall man wearing a uniform smiled at her.

"Lena. Long time," he said, and gave her a gentle but firm hug. "These boys bothering you?" His voice was as soft as she'd remembered, but with an iron overlay.

She shrugged. "Not really. I've handled worse."

Trowa chuckled and opened the door for her. "I bet you have," he said and ushered her in. The place was busy, as she'd expected, and Trowa led her over to a table where Wufei Chang and Quatre Winner were sitting. "I have to go," Trowa said, pulling a chair out for her, "but these guys are pretty good company."

Relena smiled. "Thanks," she told him and picked up a menu from the table. Not that she was hungry, but that way she could avoid her two friends. She really had no idea what to say to them.

"Can I take your order?"

Relena looked up at the girl, who couldn't have been more than sixteen. "I'll just take a lemon water," she said. The girl nodded and walked away, but not before casting a flirtatious wink toward Relena's tablemates.

Wufei sighed. "Doesn't she know she's too young?"

"Maybe she doesn't realize how old you really are." Relena couldn't resist. In high school, she'd enjoyed trading friendly insults with the Chinese cowboy, and secretly hoped he would still enjoy it.

Wufei's obsidian eyes flashed, but there was a small smirk to his mouth. "Maybe she's trying to entice us away from the cougar."

Quatre choked on a swallow he'd just taken, and Wufei frowned and pounded him on the back. Relena sighed and glanced around the room. Roger was at the bar, talking and making drinks. Four girls moved around the crowded room, waiting on tables and flirting.

"So, Lena."

She looked at Quatre, who had recovered from his coughing spasm. He was the youngest of her circle of friends here, and one of the nicest guys she'd ever met. "Yes?"

"Are you staying long?" he asked, and she knew that wasn't exactly what he was asking.

"I'm not sure. Dad..." What could she say? He didn't really want or need her help. "I'm not sure."

"Hey, honey. You ready to talk to us now?"

Relena sighed and looked up at the cowboy who'd followed her in. "No. Go away."

It became quickly apparent that he wasn't used to being talked to in that manner, and his cold blue eyes gleamed as he leaned toward her. "You shouldn't be so mean."

"And you shouldn't bother me." Relena could see Wufei and Quatre sitting straighter in their chairs, but she motioned for them to relax. The very last thing she wanted was a bar fight breaking out. She'd been involved in a few in her younger days, and they weren't pretty.

The cowboy glanced at her two friends, and Relena watched Wufei's expression tighten while his eyes glowered. "Well, pardon me." He strode away, and Relena looked hard at Wufei.

"What? You enjoy being harassed?"

She smiled. "Only by you."

At that, he smirked. "You're a glutton for punishment, you know that?"

She nodded and took a sip of the water the young waitress set in front of her. "So I've been told." She was relaxed now, could feel the weariness of the day slipping from her, and hoped the drama was done for the day. _I wonder how Heero is._ The thought blind-sided her, and she hoped no one could tell who she was thinking about. _After all, it's not like he's thinking about me, or anything. Why would he?_ She decided to quit thinking about him and have a little fun.


	4. Chapter 4

I do not own _Gundam Wing_ or its characters.

Thank you for all the nice reviews.

Big Sky Love

Chapter Four

Relena had just poured a cup of coffee the next morning when the back door opened and Duo came in. He eyed her, set his hat on the table, and proceeded to get his own coffee.

"Out late last night, huh?" he asked, joining her at the table and pointing at her mug. "You used to hate coffee."

"People grow up," she said and swallowed a sip of the burning liquid. Truth be told, she still didn't like it unless it had caramel, whipped cream, and a Starbucks logo, but she wasn't telling him that.

"If you say so." Duo looked away for a few moments. "What did you do last night?" he asked, his voice low.

She stared at her cup. "Hung out at the bar with Quatre and Wufei." Of course, hanging out had included doing a few shots, telling old rodeo stories, and being hit on more times than she cared to remember. All in all, not a bad way to pass a night.

"Noticed your Toyota isn't here."

Relena met his gaze, which was cool and questioning. "Wufei didn't want me to drive."

"He brought you home?"

"No, I walked," she said, trying hard not to smile at his sour look. "He said my truck would be fine, that he'd let Trowa know."

"Know you were tanked?"

"I wasn't tanked. A little tipsy, maybe." And giggly, she supposed, but her friends hadn't seemed to mind.

Duo finished his coffee and got up to put the mug in the sink. "So I suppose you need a ride in to go get it?"

"That would be nice."

He smiled. "I'll take you in if you go for a ride with me this morning. I have to check the north pasture fences." There was both an invitation and a challenge in his tone.

Relena swallowed hard. It wasn't fair of him to ask her to ride, but she knew he only wanted to help. _Sky._ She still remembered her father telling her he'd sold her beloved Arab gelding to a rancher from Texas, who wanted the horse for his daughter. The betrayal had cut her deep, far deeper than maybe it should've. Even now, hot tears bit at her eyes.

"Hey."

She looked up at Duo, who reached to wipe a few tears away with the pad of his thumb. His cobalt eyes were dark and deep, and the sympathy in them made her want to weep all the more.

"Shh. You don't have to ride if you don't want to," he said, his deep voice a rumble. "No one will force you."

She nodded, struggling to get her emotions under bridle. In New York, it had been easy, with the skyscrapers and taxi cabs and endless sea of people. But here, in the Big Sky country, where horses and cattle were the big commodity, her emotions wanted to run free and wild, and she wasn't sure she could corral them.

"Do you want a ride downtown?" Duo asked.

"No, it's okay. Get your work done first," she said, finally retaining some control.

He looked skeptical. "You sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine," she said, but it was a lie, and she could tell he knew it.

"Uh huh." Duo pulled out a chair and sat down. "Tell me the truth, Lena."

She frowned and looked away. "Fine. No, I'm not okay. I hate being here. It reminds me of everything I wanted to get away from. After Dad sold Sky..." She felt the frustrating tears building again. Duo reached out and took her hand, squeezing it. He stayed quiet, though, as if sensing she seriously needed to talk.

"After Sky, I couldn't stand to be here. I had to get out, get away from Dad. And I'm happy in New York. Really. I've got great friends, a great job..."

"You don't seem happy to me," Duo said. "I know you didn't want to come back, but you did. And maybe it's a good thing. You love horses. I know Sky was your first one, but we have lots of Arabs here. Or Wufei has Paints. The Winners have Quarter Horses. Take your pick."

But she shook her head, her ponytail swinging along her shoulders. "It's not that easy."

"Because you won't let it be." Duo let go of her hand and got up.

"What's that supposed to mean?" she asked, her tone sharp.

He put on his hat, adjusted it, and looked at her. "You know what it means, gorgeous."

She bit her lip and watched him stride out. Of course she knew what he meant, and maybe he was right. She'd been running from her past for so long, though, that she wasn't sure she could stop. _But I have to try._ Getting up, she went to her room to grab her heavy coat, then went to slip her boots on.

"Going somewhere, princess?"

Relena gritted her teeth before turning to face her father. "I'm going to the barn."

Tom leered at her through rheumy eyes. "Going to ride again? Quit being a coward?"

Something thin and tight snapped inside Relena's mind, unleashing a torrent of fury and pain. "You're the coward, Dad. You always have been," she said, her voice trembling.

He took a shaky step toward her. "What'd you say?"

She lifted her chin. "You heard me. Mom was the strong one. She practically built this ranch. She ended up giving her life for it!"

"Liar!" Tom yelled, his whole body shaking now. "Your mother hated this place! She was a heartless wench! Just like you!" He lurched toward her, raising his right hand to strike.

Relena gasped and backed away, but Tom followed, yelling more obscenities. Tears flowed down Relena's cheeks, and she realized she was cornered in the mudroom. Tom again raised his hand, and it smacked across his daughter's cheek, throwing her head to the side.

"What the hell?" The back door was flung open and Heero stepped in, his angry cry having startled Tom, who suddenly fell to his knees, his breaths coming in wheezing gasps. Heero ignored him and went to Relena, who was holding her head in her hands and sobbing.

"Shh, honey. Come here," Heero said, reaching his right arm around her and leading her outside. Duo came galloping up on a red bay mare and jumped off, dropping the reins to the ground.

"What happened?" he asked, eyes darting from Heero to Relena and back again.

Heero's eyes glittered. "He hit her."

Duo's own eyes flared, and got dangerously narrow. "Where is he?"

Heero jerked his thumb at the mudroom. "He's on his knees, wheezing to death." It was apparent Heero intended to let that happen, but Duo went into the house.

Relena took a deep breath and rubbed her eyes. Her cheek stung where Tom had hit it, and she tried to stem a new set of tears from flowing. She felt Heero's hand, resting gently on her lower back, and tried not to enjoy its warmth too much.

"Heero! Help me get him to the couch," Duo called and let the door swing shut again.

Heero growled something unintelligible and asked, "You okay?"

Relena nodded, but couldn't meet his eyes. If she did, he'd realize she was far from okay. Heero tipped her chin up, though, and his eyes grew dark with storms. "I-I'm fine," she whispered, tears clogging her throat.

"The hell you are," he said. "Stay here. I'll be right back." He turned to go.

"Please, don't hurt him," she said, and when he let the back door slam behind him, she wondered if he'd even heard her. _Or if he'd even listen._ Heero had never been a fan of Tom's, or vice versa, either. _And this makes it worse._ Gingerly she touched her cheek and winced at the pain.

The back door opened and shut and Heero was at her side again, his blue eyes intense with concern. "Come on. We need to get something cold on that cheek." He took her elbow and led her toward the house.

Duo was talking softly on his cell, and glanced at them before turning away. Relena's eyes narrowed a bit. "Who is he talking to?" she asked as Heero pulled out a kitchen chair for her.

"Sit," he said. He went to the freezer, rummaged around, and brought over a package of broccoli. He pressed it to her cheek, and she winced.

"Who is Duo talking to?" she asked again, more insistent this time. "Is Dad okay?"

Heero grunted. "Does it matter?"

_Did_ it matter? She closed her eyes, feeling the cold seeping into her wounded skin. _He hit me. He cornered me and hit me._ Her father had never been an easy man to live with; she'd endured years of ridicule and embarrassment beneath his hard rules and bad temper. But, he _was_ her father. She'd never completely given up hope that they could reconcile. Now, though, she felt that slim thread of hope breaking.

"They'll be here soon," Duo said, sitting down across from her. He looked her over, sadness filling his eyes. "You okay?"

"Does she look like it?" Heero snapped.

Relena ignored him. "Who's coming?"

Duo shifted. "I called an ambulance. Your dad—"

"Is he okay?" She wondered that she should even care.

The two men exchanged a brief look. "He doesn't look good," Duo said, his voice low.

Relena started to get up, but Heero held her arm, keeping her seated. "Let go of me," she said, trying to jerk away.

"Sit still," he ordered, trying to keep the cold package on her face.

"I want to see him." Anger began roiling in her system when Heero refused to let go. "Heero—"

The shrill wail of sirens cut her off, and Duo got up to let the ambulance crew in. Two men hurried past the table and into the living room. Relena's eyes teared up, and Heero finally relented, but he stayed with her as she went into the other room, his hand pressing down against her cheek.

Tom lay on the couch, still, and Relena fought the rise of panic. She heard the medics murmuring to one another, and knew her father couldn't be dead. Duo came in and stood on her other side, and she was grateful for the support. She medics began checking Tom over, and soon they all heard him say, "Get off me! Leave me alone!"

"Sir, relax. We just want—"

Tom sat up, slow and shaky, and his icy eyes found Relena. "Get out of here, all of you! Go on!"

The men tensed, and Relena's hurt and anger burrowed their way through the fading panic. "Fine, Dad. Everyone, out," she said. Duo and the ambulance crew left, but Heero seemed determined to stay with her. "Heero, go."

"No." He glared at Tom, who was leaning heavily back against the couch. "Keep your hands off her," Heero said. His voice was all steel.

Tom looked at his daughter. "Tough guy, isn't he?" His gaze shifted to Heero. "She's _my_ daughter. Don't tell me how to act or what to do."

Relena could feel the tremendous fury radiating off Heero, and stepped in between the two men. "Stop. Both of you. Dad, go to bed. You're exhausted. Heero, leave the house." She gave him a look, and though his Prussian eyes raged. Moments later, the back door slammed.

"You the boss now? Think you can order me around?" Tom asked, derision in his voice.

Relena leaned toward him, and pointed at her cheek. "You hit me, Dad. By doing that, you gave up whatever parental control you thought you had. _Go to bed._"

His eyes clouded. "Look, honey, I didn't—"

"Doesn't matter anymore. We're done." She left then, and walked out of the house. The ambulance was gone; Duo stood next to the mare he'd been riding, and he seemed to be waiting for her. She walked up to him, closed her eyes, and leaned against him, letting him wrap his arms around her.

"I'm sorry, Lena."

"I know. Me too."

"You kicked Heero out?"

She pulled back; he let his arms fall to his sides. "Yes. I think he might've hurt Dad otherwise."

Duo stared at the ground. "That a bad thing?"

She sighed. "He's sick, Duo. And he is still my father."

"Yeah." Duo gathered the reins and mounted the mare. "You want to come?"

"No, but thanks. I might take a walk." She zipped her coat up.

He frowned. "Well, if you do, stay close, okay? We're supposed to get a storm."

"Okay." She hesitated. "Heero called me honey, Duo."

"He still cares about you, gorgeous. He always has," he told her. "I have to go. Like I said, stay close." He reined the mare toward the north, and she admired how straight he sat the saddle, how quiet and at ease he was.

"I will," she called after him. He raised his right hand to indicate he'd heard her. After he'd disappeared from sight, she looked around, a sag in her shoulders. _So where do I go now?_ She was adamant about not going back in the house, and the barns held no current appeal. _So I guess I will go for a walk._ She set out to the east, toward the distant mountains.

Maybe some distance would do her good.

* * *

Heero watched her leave, and a heavy feeling settled in his chest. She wouldn't want company, he supposed._ At least, not mine._ She'd kicked him out of the house, and then gone straight to Duo. _Maxwell. Why does it have to be him? _At least Duo didn't have feelings for her. He sighed and turned back into the barn. The stalls needed to be mucked, and he was the only one here to do it.

The horses had all been turned out earlier, and he got right to work, forking the soiled straw and sawdust into a wheelbarrow to take out and dump. The work felt good, but it did little to quiet his mind. _Why do I even care if she got roughed up by Tom? _She didn't seem to want his help. Still, he hadn't been able to ignore the fight going on in the mudroom. _She needed me then._

"Heero."

He turned to see Trowa Barton walking toward him, and his right leg suddenly ached. He jerked his head at his old roping partner. "Hey."

Trowa stopped and watched him work for a few moments. "I heard the ambulance was here."

"Yeah. For Tom."

"What happened?"

Heero threw a pitchfork full of straw into the wheelbarrow. "He hit Relena. I guess it was too much for him."

"He _hit_ Lena?"

"Yeah."

"Did you hit _him_?"

Heero set the pitchfork aside and looked at his friend. Trowa stood with his hands stuffed into his front pockets, a solemn look on his face. Overhead, Heero could hear a few bounces of spring rain on the roof. "No. I wanted to. He collapsed after hitting her. Duo called the medics, but Tom sent them away."

Trowa's stance relaxed. "Is Lena okay?"

"I guess so. She went for a walk."

"You want a hand cleaning stalls?" Trowa gestured down the aisle.

Heero knew he could use the help, but wanted his solitude more. "No."

"Okay. Tell Lena her Toyota is over at the station. She can come get it anytime." Trowa turned to go, and added, "She can press charges."

"She won't."

"I know." Trowa left the barn, and Heero turned back to his job. More rain hit the metal roof, and he paused.

_Did she have her coat on?_ He was pretty sure she did, but hated the thought of her out in the cold spring rain without one._ And no hat._ Putting the pitchfork aside a second time, he walked to the big double doors and gazed up at the sky. Gray clouds gathered over the mountains, and the rain was getting heavier. _Well, she's smart. She'll come back._ But he knew her sense of direction wasn't the best, and she might wander before finding her way back, depending on how far she'd gone.

He sighed and went to the tack room to grab a lead rope before going out to the nearest corral. He caught Shine, a dark bay gelding who rode double, and took him back to the barn to tack up. Ten minutes later, Heero was mounted and headed out, his cowboy hat pulled low over his intense eyes, and a long slicker keeping the rain off his back.


	5. Chapter 5

I do not own _Gundam Wing_ or its characters.

Big Sky Love

Chapter Five:

Duo hunched over the broken fence, a handful of binder twine in his hands. He could make a quick repair with that, and drive out later with his Ford and tool box to really fix it. The mare grazed a few feet away, quiet and calm. Duo hummed an old song beneath his breath as he worked, thinking about what had happened.

_Can't believe Tom hit her. I know they don't get along, but there's no excuse for that._ Relena didn't deserve the grief her father put her through, and he wished he could help in some way. Tom Darlian was a hard man to live with, though, and Duo didn't want to make things worse.

The cold rain was falling harder, and he finished tying together the fence. He'd have to keep the cattle out of this pasture until it was officially fixed, though. Catching the mare, he mounted and continued on down the fence line, his sharp eyes searching out any weaknesses.

_Hope Relena's not out in this_. She wasn't used to being out in the rain, even though he knew New York's weather could be nasty. _Lena._ He sighed, knowing he shouldn't care or think so much about her. But she wasn't with Heero anymore, even though Heero still carried a bright torch for her. _And aren't I supposed to be seeing Hilde? _They had an open relationship, he knew. It was hard, knowing she could be with another guy at any point, but it was the way it'd always been between them.

_And Heero keeps saying he wants nothing to do with Relena._ In his heart, though, Duo knew that wasn't true. His best friend had barely looked at another girl since Relena had broken up with him and moved across the country to New York City._ Yeah, he can complain and deny all he wants, but it's still there._

But did Relena still feel it? She'd seemed unsure when commenting about Heero calling her "honey." Duo reined the mare to a stop, and surveyed another section of fence that was down. He sighed and swung down, bringing the binder twine with him. But as he got closer, he noticed that the fence edges were too neat. _Like someone cut them._ His eyes slitted, he fixed the section. _Better talk to Trowa, find out if anyone else is having problems._

The rain was intensifying as he mounted, and he put the mare to a slow jog. He didn't want to be out here all day.

* * *

Relena lifted her face and let the rain run down it. How long had it been since she'd done this? Just enjoyed a walk in the rain? _Too long. And I used to ride in it, too._ How long could she avoid riding? The horses beckoned to her each hour that she stayed. _And Duo is probably right. I just need to get back on one._

But she wasn't going to stay, so why fall in love with another one? She sighed and kept walking. _What are Dorothy and Sylvia doing right now? Probably at a Starbucks, staring at cute guys and gossiping._ That brought a smile to her face. They would never believe she was voluntarily walking around in a rain storm.

Movement towards the horizon caught her eye, and she strained for a better view. _Riders? Two, it looks like, but that's not Duo or Heero..._ One of the riders reined their horse her way, and she felt a stab of unease in her spine as both riders started toward her.

_Great. I'm out here all alone. I don't even have my cell._ Not that anyone she could call would get here in time, if the two riders meant her harm. And as they drew nearer, she wasn't so sure they didn't.

The first rider to reach her wore a black duster and a stained gray cowboy hat. He was big through the shoulders; the brown gelding he rode was big, too. "You lost, sweetheart?" he asked. His friend stopped beside him, and he was lanky, but somehow just as intimidating.

Relena let her eyes ice down. "No, I'm not, but you must be. This is Flying W property, gentlemen."

The two men exchanged a laugh. "You think we're gentlemen, huh?" the big cowboy asked.

Relena refused to be afraid of them. "Most real cowboys are."

"Oh, we're real, all right." The lanky one shifted in his saddle. "How about I offer you a ride on my pony?"

"No, thank you." Relena turned to walk away, and heard them start after her. "I'd get off my property," she said, over her shoulder. "I'm good friends with Chief Barton."

"Barton? That roping has-been? What a joke."

She spun on her heel, anger brightening her face. "Has-been? Do you even know who you're talking about? Trowa Barton is a great roper. He could've made Nationals last year!"

"Maybe, if his partner hadn't gotten hurt," the big cowboy said. His dark eyes leered at Relena, and he rode closer to her. "Like my friend said, you want a ride?"

Relena's heart was racing now. She started to back away, but they rode closer, beginning to box her in. "Leave me alone," she said, pushing against the brown horse's neck to try and get away. The lanky cowboy reached for her, and she wondered if Duo or Heero would even miss her.

There was a loud, angry shout, and the two men reacted in an instant. They spun their horses around and drove them into gallops. Relena couldn't help but kick a boot in their direction, and she turned to see who her rescuer was.

Heero reined his gelding in and stared down at her with blazing eyes. "You okay?"

She nodded, and suddenly, with him here, her knees went haywire, and she had to grab his right stirrup to stay upright.

He swung down and came around the horse to take her elbow. "You're not okay," he accused.

She looked up at him, seeing that he wasn't really upset. "Just a little weak-kneed at the moment." She paused, dropping her gaze. "Thank you, Heero."

He was quiet for a moment or two. "You're welcome." They were both silent for a little while, until he asked, "Did you know those guys?"

"No." She shook her head vehemently. "I don't know why they were here."

"They hurt you?" There was a growl in his voice.

"No," she said, softly. Around them, the rain fell in gentle sheets, and she realized she was soaked. "Why are you out here?"

He gazed at her, his eyes deep with an emotion she wasn't sure she could handle. "Thought you'd like a ride back. You're soaked."

Relena shivered and looked at the gelding's back. "He rides double?"

"Yeah." Heero kept his hand on her elbow and led her around to the left side. Mounting, he kept his boot out of the stirrup and held his left hand out to her.

Relena slid her boot into the stirrup as nerves began roiling in her stomach. _My first time back on a horse, and I have to ride with him?_ Heero took hold of her left hand and pulled her up behind him. The gelding set off at a slow jog, and Relena held tight to the back of the saddle.

A low roll of thunder punched through the scuttling clouds, and she pressed closer to Heero for a moment before catching herself. _Don't sit too close._ She didn't want him to get the wrong impression. He remained silent, and as he asked the horse to lope, she admired the way he sat the horse. _Always so confident._

The ranch was soon in view, but the sight only made her stomach hurt. What was there to come back to? _Maybe I should've taken those guys up on their offer._ Heero stopped the horse near the house and waited for her to dismount.

"Sure you're okay?" he asked, his eyes dark and intense.

She nodded, probably too quickly. "I'm fine. Thanks again for the ride."

He nodded and started to turn the gelding away, and she couldn't just let him go. Not after he'd rescued her twice in one day.

"Heero?"

He looked back, and his eyes had changed. Flat and empty, they lacked any emotions, and her heart stumbled. "Yeah?"

"Never mind." What could she possibly say to him? He stared at her for a few seconds, as if he knew she wanted something, but he said nothing, and finally rode the horse back to the barn.

Relena went into the house and took off her soaked coat. Looking at her boots, a sigh welled up. _Ruined._ Quelling her rising exasperation, she kicked them off and headed for her room. Closing the door, she flopped down on the old day bed and stared at the ceiling. The walls were still covered in horse posters, and she knew without checking that the very first picture of her and Heero was still taped next to the one of Sky when he was just ten days old.

_I should've ripped those pictures up._ And she almost had, but something deep in her heart had kept her hands from them. Now, she wondered why. Heero wasn't interested in her. _Why did he call me honey, then?_ She knew the answer without having to search for it, and for a moment, she was happy. Heero was quiet; he rarely used any terms of endearment, and for him to have called her that meant he still cared about her.

_But what if he's changed? What if he really meant nothing by it?_ Relena frowned. No, he hadn't changed at all since high school. At least not that she'd seen. He was still gruff. Still confident. _Still sexy._ Relena huffed out an agitated breath. _I can't think of him like that._

Her cell phone rang, and she hurried to answer it, a little amazed it had a signal. _Dorothy._ "Hey sweetie!"

"Oh my stars, you picked up!" Dorothy's voice became muffled as she said to someone else, "She actually has a signal!"

Relena laughed. Hearing her friend's eager voice melted some of her bitterness. "Dor, what's going on? How are you and Syl?"

"Oh, we're fine, babe, we're fine! And speaking of fine, you snagged any cowboys yet?"

Relena's good mood plummeted. "No. And my dad and I aren't getting along." She hated to whine, but knew she could get away with it.

"Oh, sweetie, I'm sorry. Want me to come out there and kick his butt?"

This was said in all seriousness, and Relena sighed in contentment. Dorothy loved her, if no one else did. "No, it's fine. Things just haven't changed." She closed her eyes, wanting to sink into dreamland, but she couldn't. Her jeans were soaked from the walk in the rain. _Ugh._ "So did Syl ask out that cute waiter yet?"

Dorothy Catalonia laughed. "You are so behind the times! She's way beyond that little freak now. She's chasing a very hot older man who happens to own a restaurant!"

"Wow, high caliber," Relena said. Her phone beeped. "Hey girl, I have to go. My phone's in its death throes."

"Oh, poop. I love you, honey. Call me soon! Hugs and kisses from the sexy duo!"

Relena laughed and ended the call, wishing they could've talked longer. Hearing her friend's voice made her ache for New York City, and she wondered when she'd be able to go back. _If only Dad would get better._ It was false hope, of course; the doctors had said he was progressing quickly. _And then what? He leaves me with this ranch and bittersweet memories?_ Relena sighed and got up to plug her phone into its charger, and decided to take a long shower. She needed to let some of the bitterness go.

_And I'm going to forget about what Heero called me._

* * *

By the time Duo got in, his temper was raw and bleeding. He stepped down off the mare and crosstied her before undoing the cinch. Three more sections of fence had been down, cut by the look of them. He yanked the saddle and blanket off and set them down on the cold concrete of the barn aisle.

"Fence down?" Heero appeared in the office's doorway.

"Yeah." Duo grabbed the mare's halter and slipped the bridle off, replacing it with the halter and snapping the crossties to it.

"How many?"

"Five sections." Duo started running a brush over the horse. "Looks like they were cut."

"Really." Heero moved closer. "Relena ran into a pair of guys out in the north field."

Duo met his eyes. "She okay?"

Heero nodded. "I went out to bring her in and scared them off."

"Makes me wonder. Guess I'll talk to Trowa. I've gotta run Lena to the station to pick up her Toyota anyway." Duo sneered the vehicle's name. He switched to the mare's other side and started brushing. "So you went out looking for her?"

"It was raining." Heero's voice was flat and hard.

"Thought you didn't care." Duo glanced at his friend and saw a flash of temper in his blue eyes. "I'm just sayin'." He stepped into the tack room and grabbed a black blanket to put over the mare until she dried. When he came out, Heero was gone.

_Hmph. And he says he doesn't care about her. Right._ Duo buckled the blanket on the horse and led her into her stall. His friend could deny the truth all he wanted, but his actions told the real story. Duo put away the tack, knowing the saddle and bridle would need oil in the next day or two. He walked out to the road to get the mail, scowling when he saw the feed bill. _Got to pay on that this month._ Unfortunately, to do so meant selling some of Tom's prized Hereford cattle, something the old man wouldn't want to do.

_Bet Lena doesn't really know the financial situation._ Tom really was leaving her a huge mess to figure out, but Duo knew he could help her find a way out of it. _If she even keeps the place_, he mused as the entered the house.

Relena was in the kitchen, pouring coffee into an old blue mug. Duo paused to study her; she must not have noticed his entry, and was staring out the window over the sink. He sighed, a soft sound meant to let her know she was no longer alone. Relena turned to him, and redness of her eyes pricked at his heart. She'd been crying.

He set the mail on the table, his eyes never leaving her pale face. "Lena, what—"

"I can't stay here," she said, interrupting him.

"You just got here," he said. He watched as her face became solemn, unfeeling.

"I'm not going back to New York. Not yet. I just...this house is all bad memories, Duo." She sat in one of the scarred chairs.

"Oh." He relaxed and sat down across from her. "Well, you could probably stay with Wufei. With his parents both gone, the place is pretty lonely." Not that the Chinese cowboy minded; Duo knew he preferred the solitary existence. Still, he wouldn't refuse Relena's request – Duo also knew him too well for that.

Relena seemed to be considering. "You really don't think he'd mind?"

"Nah." Duo glanced at the mail. He had to tell her about the bills. "There's something we need to talk about," he said, pushing the pile toward her. She took the envelopes and looked through them.

"Overdue?" she asked, holding up the feed bill. "By how long?"

He hated to answer. "Six months."

"Oh." She looked down. "Are you guys paying on it?"

"As much as we can." Duo squirmed when she pinned her blue eyes on him. "Look, things are tough, gorgeous."

"We need to pay it, Duo."

"We have to sell some cattle, then, which your dad won't like," he pointed out. Outside, the rain began pattering harder against the windows.

"So stupid." She got up and shoved her chair back against the table.

Duo's eyes hardened. "Excuse me?"

"He should've gotten out before this happened."

"It's his way of life. You know that. What was he supposed to do? Give up?" Duo couldn't control the anger shaking down his bones. "Like it or not, babe, this isn't _your_ life."

Relena turned to him, and the cold in her eyes was glaring, biting. "And like it or not, it _will_ be."

He was taken back by her fierceness, and shook his head. "Look, we can sort this all out. A lot of the other ranches are having problems too. We'll sell a couple of cows and pay the feed bill off." He couldn't let her lose hope in the place.

Relena sighed. "I need to go get my truck. Can you take me down?"

"Yeah. I need to talk to Trowa, anyway."

"Why?"

Duo cursed his big mouth. _I can't tell her about the fences._ Still, she was the owner's daughter. "I found some fence down today, and it looked like it'd been cut."

Her eyes widened. "I met up with two men on horseback during my walk today," she said. "Do you think they could've done it?"

"Maybe. There shouldn't have been strangers on our land." He got up and gestured to her. "Come on." He waited while she pulled on her boots, noting that they were completely wrecked from her walk.

"I'm ready," she said, and as he started out the door, she grabbed his arm. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't take this out on you. You've stuck by my dad when a lot of others would've run," she said, and a faint shimmer of tears tinted her eyes.

His own eyes softened. "Just doing my job, gorgeous. Come on. Let's go find Trowa." They walked together, and in his heart, he swore to help her every way he could.


	6. Chapter 6

I do not own _Gundam Wing_ or its characters.

Thank you for all the nice reviews and kind words. I am really enjoying the writing on this story, and am glad you are, as well.

Big Sky Love

Chapter Six

Trowa was in his office when they arrived, and Relena couldn't help but be a bit in awe of him. Quiet and sometimes enigmatic, Trowa Barton was the type of man who exuded silent and graceful power. He was a man people respected.

He rose from his chair to grip Duo's hand and give her a quick hug. "The Toyota's out back," he told her, and handed her the keys.

"Have you heard about any fence lines being broken down?" Duo asked, and his voice was low and hard.

"Down?" Trowa eyed him for a moment. "Taken down."

"Yeah." Duo was getting impatient. Relena touched his arm, not wanting him to get agitated.

"Todd Barnett was at the bar last night. He mentioned some of his fences were cut," Trowa said. "You having problems?"

"Had five sections down today."

Relena frowned. Why hadn't he told her how many?_ Probably because he was afraid I'd lose it. I need to be tougher. _She came from "tough stock," as her mom used to say.

"Five." Trowa made a notation on a note pad. "Anything else?"

"I met up with two men while I was walking today," Relena said. Her skin crawled just thinking about it. _Thank goodness Heero showed up._

"Where at?" Trowa asked, his green eyes scrutinizing.

"The north part," she said, and a shiver cut through her body. She wouldn't soon forget the men's leering eyes, or the way they'd crowded her with their horses.

"Okay. You mind if I come out, do some patrolling?"

"No," Duo said, and looked at Relena. "Sorry."

She smiled. "No apologies. You're more the boss here than I am." Duo grinned , and she realized her mistake. "You know what I mean," she added, swatting his arm.

Trowa ushered them out, with a promise to come to the Flying W the next morning. It was late, now, and he wouldn't have much daylight left.

Relena unlocked the Toyota and got in. "You really think Wufei wouldn't mind me crashing there?"

"You really sure it'll help?" Duo asked, skepticism in his voice.

"I can't stay in that house with him, Duo. Not after today." Her cheek hadn't bruised, but she still felt the slap.

"Yeah, I guess not. Nah, I'm sure he won't mind. You want to stop over there?"

"Please."

"Alright. Follow me."

Relena could've went by herself; it wasn't like Wufei was a stranger. He was one of the few men she truly trusted. The drive to the Spotted Dragon Ranch didn't take long, and Wufei met them at the door. The house was large and spare, with black furniture and a dark stone fireplace. Deep red rugs took the chill from the hardwood floors.

"How are things going?" Wufei asked, after they'd settled at the bar in the kitchen.

Duo nodded at her to go on, so she said, "Um, not too well. Dad and I..." She didn't want to tell him about the fight. Wufei leaned closer to her, and she blushed at his narrowed-eyed gaze.

"He hit you."

It wasn't even a question. "How did you know?" she asked, brushing her fingertips across the injury.

His eyes were dark with anger. "There's a faint mark." Wufei turned on Duo. "You let this happen? You and Yuy?" The accusation was stinging.

"It's not like that. We weren't there." Duo's own anger raged in his eyes. "You ought to know we wouldn't 'let' that happen, Chang."

"Dad cornered me in the mudroom," Relena said, her voice low and sad. Both men looked at her. She met Wufei's sympathy-filled gaze. "I'd like to stay here, if you wouldn't mind. I can help with the chores."

He sat back on his bar stool, not answering right away. Relena wondered if she was asking too much of a friend she hadn't really spent time with in eight years.

"That's fine." Wufei nodded.

"Really? Oh, thank you, Wufei," she said, a small burden lifting from her heart. "I don't know for how long, though."

He waved his left hand in dismissal. "Not important."

"I guess you should get your stuff from the W, then." Duo got up and put his hand out for Wufei to shake. "Thanks, man."

Wufei nodded. "Of course. She'll be safe here."

Relena almost commented on that, but realized how right he was. Her father had a past history of bar brawls on Saturday nights, though that had been years ago, and he _had_ struck her. _Not safe in my own home._ The thought turned her stomach, but at least she wouldn't have to worry about that now.

When they got back to the W, she hurried into the house to pack. Tom was in the living room, an old Navaho-patterned blanket pulled across his body. She contemplated telling him, but would he even care? _No. Why would he?_

She made her decision and went on to her room. _At least this won't take long._ She hadn't really unpacked, unsure of how long she'd actually be staying. It'd been even less than she'd thought. The pictures on the wall snagged her attention on the way out, and on strict impulse she grabbed them and shoved them into her sweater's deep pockets.

Heero stood in the kitchen when she entered, and the sight of him made her knees weak. But only for a second; she steeled herself against the woozy feeling. Duo was off to the side; he didn't look happy.

"You're leaving." Heero's face was impassive, but his eyes threw lightning.

"Yes." She lifted her chin. "Does that bother you?"

"What? Leaving?" Tom emerged from the living room, his icy eyes attacking his daughter. "Good riddance."

Relena's temper soared. "Because of you, Dad." She saw Heero's stance loosen for a moment. _Did he think it was because of him?_

"Me? I never wanted you in the first place," Tom said, shaking as a cough wracked him. "Get out of my house."

"I'm going." She brushed past Duo, feeling him touch her back briefly. Heero went ahead of her, opening the back door. She was too mad to say anything, and threw her things into the back of the blue SUV. Both young men stood watching her.

"Call if something happens," she said, jerking her head toward the house. "Please."

"Sure." Duo stepped close and hugged her. "I'll visit." His tone was only just teasing.

"It's not like I'm _leaving_ leaving. Wufei's is only six miles from here," she said. Heero was still, his Prussian eyes glinting in the light from the porch. Relena waited, an anxious feeling in the pit of her stomach.

"Take care," he finally said, and turned away.

"You too." Shrugging at Duo, who looked truly appalled, she got in the truck and left.

* * *

"What the hell was that?"

Heero winced at Duo's murderous tone as he started feeding the horses. "What was what?" he asked, and suddenly stumbled as Duo shoved him. Heero tried to check his temper as he rounded on his friend.

"You just let her go. Didn't care," Duo snarled.

Heero took stock of Duo's tone of voice, of the flash in his eyes. "What was there to say? I've told you before: I'm through with her."

"You know what? Good. Great. She deserves a man who can step up and tell her how he really feels." Duo turned on his heel.

Heero scowled. What, exactly, was he implying? "I doubt Wufei likes her in that manner," he said, and Duo stopped. When he paced back to Heero, he was laughing. Bitterly. Heero's stomach dropped.

"I wouldn't worry about Chang if I were you. Then again, you shouldn't worry at all. You don't care about her," Duo growled. "I'll be back later. Finish the chores." He strode away, his boots thunder on the cement, and Heero experienced a sinking sensation in his heart.

_Maxwell._

* * *

Wufei helped Relena put her bags away, and then led her to the kitchen. He pulled ice cream from the freezer and got out two bowls. Relena licked her lips in anticipation. He caught her doing it and grinned, but didn't comment. Once they had their treats, they retired to the massive living room, and Wufei turned on the TV.

"RFD TV?" he asked, going to it without waiting for her opinion. A dressage horse and rider were on, and Wufei set the remote down.

Relena watched with some envy as she ate. Dressage was perfect and beautiful horsemanship, and she missed her own close bond with a horse. Something crinkled in her pocket, and she pulled out the two photos, her heart swelling at the sight of Sky, the gray Arab gelding she had once owned.

"He was a good horse."

She looked at Wufei, and he motioned to the picture. She smiled. "Yes, he was. The best." Wistfulness played in the corners of her voice.

"You could have that again, you know." Wufei looked toward the TV.

"I'm not sure I could," she confessed. "He really broke my heart when he left."

"There's always going to be others, Relena. You just have to decide if you want to move on." His voice was soft but firm, and she ran the tips of her fingers over the photo.

The other picture slid off her lap and to the floor. She and Wufei reached for it at the same time, and he got it first. She waited in nervous silence, watching as he perused the photo for a few moments. When he handed it back to her, she felt like she needed to justify herself.

But Wufei said nothing, so she didn't either. _Stupid. I don't know why I brought it. It means nothing._ Heero had been two different people that day: the man who rescued her twice, and the man who let her leave without any really words. She finished her ice cream, and set the bowl aside. _How could I think we'd have a chance? He barely spoke to me tonight._

Wufei took their bowls to the kitchen, and Relena wandered around the living room. She didn't want to crowd him.

"Relena."

She went to the kitchen, where Wufei was pulling on boots and a heavy jacket. "Thought I saw something out by the main corral. Stay here," he said, and there was no way she could argue.

She watched his progress from the kitchen window, her fingers tightly laced together. He went into the barn, and the lights came on, and she saw a figure emerge out of the shadows by the corral. She ran out the back door after hastily yanking her boots on.

"Wufei!" she cried out. The figure turned toward her for a moment, and she just made out a pair of dark eyes and a cruel mouth cut through by a long scar. The man started running, and she took off after him, giving no thought to her safety.

He was fast, but she was quick too, and had cut down some of his lead. A pair of headlights flashed on, and she stopped as her quarry jumped into the bed of a dark-colored pickup. She bent over, huffing for breath, as the truck tore down the road, spitting gravel from beneath its tires.

"Are you crazy?" Wufei reached her and grabbed her arm. "He could've been armed!"

"I didn't think about that," she admitted. The adrenaline was fading, and she wrapped her arms around her torso, shivering.

Wufei let go of her. "Come on. You'll freeze to death." They walked back to the house, and Relena saw how far she'd run.

_No wonder I was huffing._ She stared at the ground as they walked. "I'm sorry, Fei. I shouldn't have yelled and scared him off."

"It's all right. Did you get a look at him?" Wufei held the back door open for her, and let her go in first. Relena kicked her boots off.

"He had dark eyes, and a long scar that went through his mouth," she said. She moved into the warm kitchen, and a blanket was draped over her shoulders. "Thank you."

"A long scar." Wufei rubbed his chin. "Doesn't sound like anyone I've seen before." He eyed Relena, and there was reproach in his eyes. "Go sit by the fire and warm up. I'm going to call Trowa."

She nodded meekly and did as he said. The burning warmth of the fire was very welcome after her mad dash through the chilly night air. _I wonder who that guy was. And why was he skulking around Wufei's corral?_ A shiver went through her as she thought about the man. _If I saw him, he saw me too._ An icy claw of fear tapped down her spine, but she tried to shake it off. She was safe here, like Wufei had said.

"Warming up?"

His determined voice spooked her, and she jumped. "Yes," she said, meeting his dark eyes. He frowned as he sat down on the couch.

"Trowa told me what happened at the W." His eyes sparked. "You didn't tell me about the fences being cut."

She looked down and away. "I didn't think about it."

He was quiet for a moment. "Trowa wants you to come in tomorrow morning and tell him about the guy." His voice had lost some of its hard undertones.

"Okay." A yawn welled up and spilled from her mouth, but she hesitated thinking about sleep. The stranger by the corral would haunt her dreams.

Wufei turned the TV off, and she knew he expected she would go to bed. "Don't worry about that guy you ran off. He'd be an idiot to come back her," he told her, and she nodded, feeling somewhat reassured. With that in mind, she headed to the room Wufei was loaning her, hoping for a restful sleep.

* * *

Duo slumped on his bar stool, contemplating both his beer and his situation. _I should just tell her. Let her decide._ But telling Relena how he felt wasn't something he'd really planned on doing. He knew how Heero felt toward her, and that alone was enough to put off his own confession.

_So what, though? He denies it every time I bring it up. _Would Heero really stay silent and let Relena go back to New York? Duo had realized she wouldn't stay unless someone gave her a good reason. _I don't think the ranch is really enough reason for her to stay._ He expected Relena to put the W up for sale once Tom died, and Duo couldn't fault her for that. Her memories of the place weren't exactly sunshine and roses.

He heard someone calling out to Roger Barton, but didn't pay attention to the voice. Not until the voice was directly behind him, anyway.

"Hey, handsome. Long time no see."

Duo stiffened and turned. A short girl with a black pixie cut grinned at him, a twinkle in her sapphire eyes. His heart leapt, but he couldn't force any of the words that came to mind.

She kept smiling, but the brightness of her eyes dimmed. "Aren'tcha going to say hi, Duo?"

"Yeah." He nodded. "Hey, Hilde. Welcome home."


	7. Chapter 7

I do not own _Gundam Wing_ or its characters.

Big Sky Love

Chapter Seven:

Relena met Wufei in the kitchen the next morning. They sat quiet at the bar, Wufei with a blue mug of coffee and Relena a mug of hot cocoa. Rain pelted the window.

"You don't have to help," Wufei said, standing and taking a last drink.

"I want to." She couldn't very well stay here and not do something. "I want to see that blue roan you were riding the other day."

Wufei smiled. "Rio. He's the best horse I have." He raised his dark eyes to her and studied her for a moment. "You can ride him, if you'd like to." There was no challenge, no dare, in his voice, only a slight question.

Relena gave a small nod, honored that he would allow that. "I haven't ridden since...." She trailed off and made a small gesture. "I'm not sure I should start out on your best horse."

He shrugged and turned away. "It's up to you. I trust you."

"Thank you," she whispered, meaning it. They pulled on their boots, Wufei telling her she needed new ones, coats, and hats (he insisted she borrow one), and stepped out into the rain. The cold took Relena's breath away, and she had to hurry to keep up with her host's no-nonsense stride. The big wooden barn was warm with the natural heat of horses, and she drew their scent deep into her lungs.

"Grain first," Wufei said, and they set to work. Relena patted necks and occasionally dropped a kiss or two on the eager velvet muzzles that shoved into her chest as she went to the stalls.

Rio waited patiently for her to fill his feeder, and she paused to admire his fine breeding and beautiful coat. "He likes you," Wufei said, stopping to lean on the door.

"You're just saying that."

"Maybe." With a ghost of a smile, the black-haired cowboy went back to work.

Relena patted the gelding's sturdy neck and left his stall, not wanting to get behind. Once grain had been divvied out, they fed hay and refilled water buckets.

"We'll muck the stalls after they finish," Wufei said, and glanced at the cell phone on his lean hip. "You better go talk to Trowa now."

Relena nodded and brushed hay off her coat. "Wait until I get back before you clean stalls, okay?"

He gave her an appraising look, as if sizing her up. "Not sure you'd be much help. You're pretty thin."

From anyone else, she would've been offended, but Wufei's comment only made her smile. "That from the buck-oh-five cowboy? I'm pretty sure I can keep up."

At that, his face broke into a wide smile. Wufei _was_ the smallest of her five cowboy friends, and she'd dubbed him with the nickname in middle school. "Fair enough. I'll wait," he said.

"Okay." Relena set off for the Toyota. She knew Trowa wouldn't care that she'd just come from the barn, so she didn't bother changing into different clothes. The drive to town was short, and soon she was parking in front of the police station. Trowa was at his desk, a frown roughing the skin between his eyes.

"Hi," she said, and he looked up, a smile breaking across his face.

"Hey. Have a seat."

Relena sat down, a nervous twitter in her stomach. She wasn't sure why; she hadn't done anything wrong. Trowa studied a sheet of paper in front of him for a few moments before settling back in his chair.

"So what happened last night?" he asked. He watched her closely.

"Wufei told me he thought he saw something out by the corral. I went into the kitchen and watched him when he went into the barn and turned on the lights. I saw someone by the corral, so I ran out and yelled for Wufei," she said, her eyes on her folded hands.

"And then you chased the intruder," Trowa said, and there was a slight hint of reprimand in his voice.

She bit her lip and looked at him. "Well, I thought maybe I could catch him."

"I see." Trowa glanced at the paper again. "Did you see much of him?"

Relena nodded. "He was tall, with dark eyes and a long scar that went through his mouth." An involuntary shiver jerked through her body, and a flash of concern passed across Trowa's eyes.

"Anything else, Lena?"

"No."

He nodded. "Okay." He made some notes on the paper and set the pen aside. "Thanks for coming in. I'll stop by the Spotted Dragon later and talk to Wufei."

"Okay. I'll let him know." Relena stood, and made to turn when Trowa stopped her.

"No more chasing after intruders, okay?" His voice was quiet, but she knew he meant it.

"I'll try not to," she said, smiling just a little.

Trowa shook his head. "Go on, get out of here." A small grin touched his mouth, and Relena smiled back before leaving.

Outside, the rain had slowed to a fine, annoying drizzle, and she was glad for the cowboy hat. As she unlocked the Toyota and started to get in, she heard someone calling her name and turned.

"Well, hey, if it isn't my favorite racing nemesis," Hilde Schbeiker said as she crossed the street. A gray cowboy hat was tilted back on her head at a jaunty angle, and her eyes danced with amusement. "Duo said you were back."

Relena nodded, her heart sinking a little. She and Hilde had always been friends, but only on a limited basis. The dark-haired young woman was a fierce competitor, and she had always kept a distance between her and everyone she raced against. "Hello, Hilde."

The two studied each other, and Relena wasn't sure where this was going. Hilde had been glad to see her quit, or she'd said as much the day Relena had left for New York. "I came back to see my dad."

Hilde's eyes slimmed. "Really? Is that the only reason?"

Confusion flooded through Relena. "What do you mean?"

"I think you know." Hilde's voice got huffy. "I talked to Duo last night at the bar. It seems to me that he's gotten quite fond of you."

Relena's eyes widened. "There's nothing going on between us. We're just good friends, like we were in high school."

"Really?" Hilde gave her a hard look, and the fire in her eyes stoked. "Make sure that's all it is, because he's mine. Understand?"

A burst of temper shot through Relena. "You don't own him, Hilde. Besides, from what I understand, you're only into him when you're in town." She steeled herself for the backlash this would create, and wondered if she should've said it at all.

Hilde's eyes flared, but she smiled. "My, my. You've gotten brave since moving to New York." She cocked her head. "So you're over Yuy, huh? Moving onto new territory?"

"No." Relena shook her head. _How'd I get into this?_ "I'm just here for my dad."

"That's probably good. I wouldn't want to put you in your place." Hilde suddenly grinned. "Although, since you're so brave now, I wouldn't mind racing you once."

"I don't think that's going to happen." Relena's voice was flat.

"Too bad. Well, take care." Hilde sauntered across the road and climbed into a new Chevy pickup. She grinned as she drove away, and Relena sighed, exhaustion rolling through her.

_That was fun._ She got into the Toyota and headed back to the Spotted Dragon. _Duo and I? Would never happen._ Still, he'd always been there for her, a secure presence that she knew she could count on. But she'd never thought of him in a romantic way. She chuckled a little, thinking of how jealous Hilde had been. _Still, she has nothing to worry about._

She pulled into the long driveway and was surprised to see Duo's big Ford by the house. She parked and climbed out, intent on going back to the barn to help Wufei. The rain was harder again, and she ran, splashing through deep puddles with childish abandonment.

Duo and Wufei were standing together in the barn, and when they turned to look at her, she saw the sympathy in their eyes. _Oh, oh, no. Not, not yet..._

"Hey, gorgeous." Duo moved to her, putting his hands on her shoulders. "I have some bad news," he added, and his voice was gentle.

She shook her head, biting back the urge to cry. _No. No, he can not have left me yet._ But when she met Duo's eyes, the truth was all too easy to see.

"He's gone, Lena. We found him about twenty minutes ago. Heero is staying until the ambulance gets there."

"But...he, he wasn't...." The words stuck like glue to her throat.

Duo wiped away her stray tears. "He was putting up a front for you, honey. He's been real bad for awhile now."

She jerked away from him. "So why didn't you tell me that? I wouldn't have left if I'd known." She wanted to be mad, fierce, but it wasn't in her. All there was, was....emptiness.

"I'm sorry," Duo said, and reached around her, pulling her to him.

"You two better head for the hospital," Wufei said. Duo let go of Relena, and Wufei opened his arms to her. "I'll come to the W later," he told her, and she nodded against his chest.

"I should change," she said, pulling away from him. There were tears in her eyes, but she held them in.

Duo shrugged. "No one will notice. We should go."

"All right." She followed him into the rain, and now trudged through it, with no feeling of recklessness. _How could Dad do this to me? We never got anything resolved._ Thoughts of what she would be facing soon crossed her mind, but she let them go. There was enough to think about right now.

They were quiet on the ride to the hospital. An ambulance sat just outside the emergency entrance, and bile rose high in Relena's throat. She made a small choking sound, and Duo reached out to squeeze her hand.

Heero and Trowa were inside the hospital waiting room, and Trowa came to her immediately, enveloping her tightly in a hug. "I'm sorry," he whispered.

She bit her lip, nodding and clinging to whatever self-control she had left. "Thanks," she said, and stepped back. A nurse approached them, glancing at a clipboard she held.

"Relena Darlian?"

Relena nodded, a faint feeling sliding over her. _No. Be strong. He doesn't deserve that._

The nurse gestured to the closed door behind her. "Follow me, please."

She made to go with the nurse, but Heero intercepted her. His deep blue eyes held fathoms of emotion, and he said, "Everything will be okay." His voice was low and firm, and it was what she really needed to hear.

She nodded, not able to speak. He seemed to sense that, and let her by, but not without a soft squeeze to her left shoulder. Even in her current state of shocked emptiness, his touch drove sparks throughout her slender body and straight to her stomach.

Maybe, as he'd said, everything _would_ be okay.

* * *

Later in the afternoon, Relena stood in the living room, staring out into the gray. Preparations for her father's funeral were already underway; she'd have to thank Trowa later for that. The quiet policeman had taken it upon himself to deal with the funeral home and the local paper; the death of anyone in their small town was always huge news.

"Here." Heero came to her side, and handed her a mug of hot chocolate.

"Thanks." One sip, and she had to smile just a little. "I really don't need to be calmed," she told him. The taste of her father's brandy was a small comfort; she remembered mixing into his coffee in the evenings after a long day in the saddle.

Heero said nothing, but he stayed at her side, his eyes on the gray afternoon as well. Relena continued sipping the cocoa, letting the brandy warm her. _I really don't need it. I'm not going to suddenly flip out on them._ Duo and Wufei were in the kitchen; pleasant smells were wafting from there, but her stomach was tight.

Trowa pulled into the drive, and she was amazed to see Hilde in the passenger seat. _After all that this morning, and she shows up here?_ Relena frowned, though she supposed she shouldn't feel so hostile. Hilde was a friend, after all. _I still can't believe she thinks Duo and I are having a thing. She ought to know us better than that. _As handsome as Duo was, she'd never thought of him in that way.

A blanket was draped over her shoulders, and she jumped, turning her head to look at Heero. "You were shivering," he said. He held her gaze until she couldn't bear it and looked away, and tears glazed her eyes.

_No. Don't cry. Not now._

"It's okay," Heero whispered close to her ear, and the coolness of his breath brought shudders to her body. But it wasn't okay; she couldn't break down now, not in front of him. "Relena—"

"Lena!" Hilde broke the moment as she swept in, tears fresh in her blue eyes. She pulled Relena from her place and hugged her hard. "Oh, wow, I'm so sorry. I didn't realize how bad Tom was."

"It's all right. Thanks for coming." Relena's voice didn't have much volume, but Hilde didn't seem to notice.

"And I'm sorry about earlier, too. I know there's nothing going on with you two," Hilde said, and while there was atonement there, Relena could also hear a bit of smugness. Still, Hilde had apologized. She couldn't expect much more than that.

Hilde turned to Heero, who looked a little confused and ornery. Relena wasn't sure why; it wasn't as if Hilde had really interrupted anything. "So Duo told me you bought another roping horse. It'd be great to see you on the circuit again. You really broke some hearts when you quit," Hilde said, a playful tone in her voice. "I know I missed you."

Relena bit the inside of her cheek. How could Hilde do that? Was she seriously hitting on him? "Um, I have to go," she whispered, and walked away. Trowa met her at the kitchen and hugged her.

"You holding up okay?" he asked, guiding her to a chair.

"I think so." She wasn't really sure at this point. Trowa sat next to her, concern in his green eyes.

"Duo and Wufei are doing the chores. Hilde thought maybe she should stay with you tonight."

"No." Relena shook her head. "I'm staying with Wufei." There was no way she'd stay anywhere with Hilde.

Trowa eyed her cautiously. "He said earlier that was okay. We weren't sure what you wanted."

She stared at the table, wishing fervently that she was in the city, with Dorothy and Sylvia. _I need to call them._ "Um, I have some calls to make. I'll be out later," she said, getting up.

"Sure." Trowa watched her close for a moment. "We're all here for you, Lena. Don't try to get through this alone."

"I won't." But as she walked to her old room, she wasn't sure she wanted help. She didn't really want anything to do with this place, period. She shut the door and flopped down on the bed, and the tears started running. Here, away from all the sympathy and pity, she could finally let go. She wanted to scream, and did so, the sounds muffled by her pillow as she pressed her face to it. _How? How could he do this to me? Leave me with all this responsibility?_ Then her thoughts shifted to something just as unsettling. _And Hilde. Why was she hitting on Heero? Did they hook up on the road or something?_ The thought was too devastating to really comprehend, but it was enough to send her into nearly hysterical sobs as she lay in the darkness of her room.


	8. Chapter 8

I do not own _Gundam Wing_ or its characters.

I make no apologies.

BIG SKY LOVE

Chapter 8:

Heero stood outside Relena's room, his forehead resting against the door. From inside came muted sobs and the occasional muffled scream. Each one made him want to break in and hug her close, to soothe away the pain he knew she was in. But he couldn't do that. It was no longer his place to console her._ She wouldn't want that from me._

"She okay?" Trowa asked from behind him.

Heero shrugged. In his opinion, she hadn't been okay since she'd come back from New York.

"Go talk to her."

"She'd kick me out."

"You really believe that?"

Heero sighed and turned to face him. "If you're so concerned, you go in there." His voice was low and sharp.

Trowa's eyes narrowed. "I'm not the one listening to her cry her heart out, am I?" He turned to leave, and threw over his shoulder, "I'm heading out to check the broken fences with Duo."

Heero muttered something beneath his breath and gave Relena's door one last look before following Trowa back to the kitchen. Hilde sat at the table, a bottle of pop in front of her. She met his eyes for a second, and he frowned. _Can't believe she said that stuff in front of Relena. Nothing ever happened between us._

Wufei and Duo came in, and Heero saw the tense set of Maxwell's shoulders. Duo caught his gaze, and a fire sparked for a moment. Heero knew things with his best friend weren't good, but he couldn't do much about it.

"Duo." Hilde went to him, pressing herself into his arms.

"Hey, babe." Duo looked at Trowa. "Ready?"

"Yeah." Trowa glanced back toward Relena's room. "Wufei, check on Lena in a bit, would you? She's upset."

Wufei nodded. "Of course."

Heero's temper was beginning to crackle underneath the tight restraint. He knew his friends didn't understand why he wouldn't tell Relena how he still felt, but he couldn't. _She left, and she'll just do it again._

"All right, let's go." Duo turned, but Hilde grabbed his arm.

"Can I go with you?"

He shook his head. "Already got the horses, beautiful. We'll be back soon."

Hilde let go, and when she turned, Heero could tell she was pouting. She was used to everyone making a fuss over her whenever she was back in town, and this time the fuss was all about Relena.

_As it should be. She's got a lot to deal with._ As if sensing his thoughts, Wufei moved toward her room, a glass of water in his hand. Heero's chest tightened. He should be the one checking on her, not one of their friends.

Relena's door opened and she stepped out. Her eyes were rimmed in red, and there was a shake in her petite frame that Heero wanted to erase forever. Wufei hugged her, and it was clear that she needed the physical contact.

"Come and sit down," Wufei said, leading her over to the table. Relena sat, her head hanging in silence, and Heero knew he either had to talk to her or leave. He couldn't stand seeing her like this. But before he made a decision, someone knocked at the back door. Relena started to get up, but Wufei touched her shoulder.

"I'll get it."

"No, I got it." Hilde bounded to the door and threw it open. "Oh, hi, Mr. Wallace. Come on in."

_Wallace? What's he want?_ Heero's eyes slitted as the older man followed Hilde in. Ken Wallace was in his late forties, and it was well-known that he never took no for an answer. If he wanted something, he got it.

"Relena? How you holding up, honey?" Ken situated himself across the table from her, reaching out to touch her hand.

She lifted her head, and Heero could barely restrain himself from taking her into his arms. _And Wallace shouldn't be calling her pet names._

"Hello, Mr. Wallace," she whispered.

Ken smiled. "Now, now, none of that mister talk. It's just Ken." He paused, and when she didn't say anything, he said, "I know this is a very hard time for you, darlin,' but I'd like to make it easier. I'd like to buy the W."

Relena's eyes widened, and though she looked like she wanted to speak, nothing came out. Heero couldn't take it.

"Now's not the time, Wallace," he growled, and moved to stand behind her.

Ken's grey eyes shifted up to him. "You're not the owner, Yuy. Besides, don't you have chores?" He focused on Relena again, this time taking her hand. "I'll pay a good price, sweetheart. You know you'd rather go back to New York. You're not cut out for this kind of living anymore."

Red began to edge Heero's vision, and he leaned down toward Wallace. "Get your hands off her, and get out."

Ken smiled. "Take it easy there, son. This doesn't concern you."

Heero straightened and walked around the table. He caught Wufei's smirk and approving nod out of the corner of his eye. _Good. He'll back me if I need it._ Reaching Wallace, he grabbed the man's collar and hauled him out of the chair.

"Let go of me!" Ken thundered, but Heero's grip was unrelenting.

"Chang."

"Got it." Wufei went ahead and opened the back door. Heero shoved Wallace through it. He stumbled and fell, but quickly got to his feet.

"You'll regret this, Yuy," Ken snapped, dusting himself off. Mud clung to his pants.

"Get off her property," Heero snarled and slammed the door. He looked at Wufei and shrugged. "She doesn't need that now."

"She doesn't ever need it," Wufei agreed. They walked back in to the kitchen, and found Relena gone and Hilde smoldering.

"You two happy? Was that really necessary?" she asked, her voice cold.

"Where is she?" Heero asked.

"In the living room. She's upset."

Heero went into the room, and saw her standing at the window again. Taking a deep breath, he went to her. "I had to do it. He was being disrespectful," he said, keeping his voice gentle. When she didn't respond, he sighed and added, "No one should ever treat you like that."

She glanced up at him, and her eyes were overflowing with pain, confusion, and other things he couldn't decipher. "Thank you," she whispered.

He nodded. "You're welcome."

She made a soft sound, and said, "I don't know what to do. I don't know if I want to sell. I mean, Dad just died, and—" A small sob stopped the words, and she buried her face in her hands.

"Shh." Heero put his arm around her, and when her sobs intensified, he pulled her close to his chest. Rubbing her back, he murmured gentle words in her ear, wishing there were more he could do. _I shouldn't have let Wallace in the door._ Relena needed protecting now, and he should've been doing a better job of it.

"I-I'm sorry," she said, her voice hoarse with tears.

"Don't. It's okay to be upset," he told her, and she pressed her face to his chest.

"Hey."

Heero turned at Duo's voice, and saw how mad his friend was. "What?"

"We've got fences down to the west and north, now."

Relena pulled away from Heero and turned toward Duo. "Are any animals missing?"

Duo shook his head. "Doesn't look like it, but we've got to move the cattle up into the corral so they don't get loose."

"I'll help." Relena started to go, but Heero held her back.

"Stay here with Hilde. You've got enough things going on," he told her, and when she looked ready to protest, he added, "No arguing. Stay here."

"Let's go," Duo said before turning and leaving. Heero looked down at Relena, and saw the worry in her blue eyes.

"Be careful, okay?" she said, and his heart sparked at her gentle concern.

"We will." He took her hand, giving it a squeeze before leading her back to the kitchen. Hilde was talking to Duo, and Heero caught a flash of annoyance on his best friend's face before Duo turned away.

"Lena, stay inside," Duo said, and the commanding ring in his voice seemed to irritate her. She pulled away from Heero and crossed her arms over her chest.

"I can ride," she said.

"Not tonight," Trowa said. He came in and eyed her, his green eyes intense. "We don't know who's out there. You and Hilde stay here."

Hilde made a snorting sound, but Heero's eyes were on Relena. He could see the protest in her eyes, the way her small fists were clenched at her sides. He knew she hated being ordered around. Tom had always kept a tight hold on her.

"Come on," Duo said. His voice was hard, anger fine-tuning the words. Heero gave Relena a last look-over and followed Maxwell to the door. Behind him, he heard Trowa again laying down the law.

"I mean it, the both of you. Stay here," the tall police chief said.

Heero could imagine the fire in both girls' eyes, and smiled to himself.

* * *

"Just because he's the chief, he thinks he can boss us around." Hilde grabbed her pop and took a long swallow. "So unfair."

Relena sighed and sat at the table. There wasn't much use in arguing Hilde's statement – she too felt it unfair. _This is my ranch now_. What should have been a comforting thought only brought pain and an undercurrent of fear.

"So." Hilde crossed her arms and leaned back against the sink. "You're really not going to run this place, are you?"

The doubt in her old friend's voice burned into Relena's mind. "I don't know."

"Well, you could've taken Ken up on his offer, and been done with it." Hilde rubbed at her nose. "Because no one else will probably want it."

Heat crept into Relena's cheeks, and the threat of angry and worn tears welled in her eyes.

"Gees, you aren't going to cry now, are you? Tom was such a jerk to you. Seems to me like you'd be glad to be rid of him," Hilde said. She glanced toward the door, as if looking for eavesdroppers.

Relena jerked back in her chair and got to her feet. She didn't have to take this abuse. "Why don't you leave, Hilde? It's clear you'd rather antagonize me than sympathize, and we both know we aren't really friends."

Hilde gave her a startled look. "I'm just being honest, that's all. And…well, we _are_ friends. Maybe not great ones, but we've always hung out together."

"We were never friends. We rode together, that's all." Relena was tired of pretending. She was tired of everything.

"No, that's _not_ all." Hilde's voice was a fierce whisper. Her eyes burned bright, and Relena was disconcerted to see tears in them. "You were the only real friend I had in high school. Oh, I know. Me, Miss Popularity? But it's true. You were the only girl who was ever truly nice to me."

"You have friends on the circuit." Relena wasn't ready to drop her guard.

"Ha. More like competitors. Oh, maybe we all hang out, but none of us really trust each other. At least with you I never felt like I had to watch my back."

"Gee, thanks." Relena went to the fridge and pulled out a bottle of water.

"You know what I mean."

"So, don't you have any boyfriends to hang out with?"

"Oh, here and there." Hilde gave her an appraising look. "I ticked you off when I was talking to Heero, didn't I?"

Relena's cheeks flushed. "We aren't dating. There's nothing between us." She sounded bitter to her own ears and hated it.

"He wouldn't give me the time of day, you know. Or anyone else."

"Why not?"

"Oh, please. You know very well why."

Relena shrugged her shoulder.

"Wow, you're pretty dense, then." When Relena scowled, Hilde smiled and added, "I just mean that's he's never gotten over you. Hasn't looked at another girl."

"Really?" This was news.

"Yeah, really."

"He hasn't…he hasn't said anything, though." She was puzzled. If Heero still liked her, why hadn't he said anything?

"Well, if he thinks you're going back to New York, why would he bother? You walked away from him once, so why wouldn't you do it again?" Hilde sighed. "Look, it's none of my business."

"So why'd you bring it up? Shouldn't you be more concerned about Duo?" Relena couldn't resist needling Hilde a little bit, even though nothing was going on between herself and him.

Hilde frowned and sat down at the table. "You said there's nothing going on."

"Well, not with us, no. But do you really expect him to wait for you? You're the one who always wanted to play things loose, but what if he's over that now?"

"I never thought about it," the dark-haired girl admitted.

"That's because you don't think about anyone other than yourself," Relena told her. When Hilde glared at her, she held up her hands. "Hey, I'm just being honest."

Hilde smirked. "I guess I had that coming." She fiddled with her sweatshirt zipper. "Trowa told me what's been happening. Do you have any idea who's cutting the fences?"

Relena shook her head. "No, unfortunately. I did meet up with two men yesterday, though. They were acting suspicious."

"Hmm." Hilde leaned back in her chair. "Maybe they're the ones doing it."

"Maybe." Relena rubbed her forehead. A nasty headache was pinching across her head, and she just wanted to be done. She was so over this. "How have you been doing on the circuit?"

Hilde smiled. "Oh, you know. I win my fair share. I bought a new gelding from Quatre's dad last year, and he's really been turning it on lately." She tipped her head to the side. "You ever watch?"

"No." Relena looked away from Hilde's coolly appraising eyes. She didn't want to admit that it hurt too much to watch. "Rodeos aren't too big in New York."

"Uh huh."

Relena waited for more, but the other woman seemed content to stay silent – at least for the moment. _I wonder if the guys will find anything._ She thought about Ken Wallace, his offer, and the rude way Heero had treated him. She couldn't say she was happy the way the situation turned out, but she hadn't been sorry to see Ken go, either. _He was so patronizing. Ugh._

"So are you going to sell?"

Relena shrugged. "I suppose I should. I don't know anything about running a ranch, not anymore."

"So? Duo and Heero could help you," Hilde said, smiling.

"I thought you said I should take Ken's offer," Relena countered.

Hilde's eyes glowed with a mischievous sparkle. "Well, go on if you think that's best. But I really think you oughta run this place and show all the old-timers how it's done nowadays."

Relena couldn't help but smile a little. "You know, that's exactly what my friends in New York would say."

Hilde took a sip of her drink. "I think I'd like to meet them."

"You'd probably get along great," Relena told her. She sat back in her chair and thought about what Hilde had said. Could she really do it? Put the Flying W back on the map? _I guess we'll just have to see. _There were definitely a lot of things to think about.


	9. Chapter 9

Gundam Wing and its characters do not belong to me.

BIG SKY LOVE

CHAPTER NINE:

By the time the four men got the head of thirty cattle into the corral next to the barn, lightning was cutting slashes across the blackened sky. Duo swung down off his mare and made sure the gate was secure. Wufei and Trowa had already led their mounts into the barn, and he knew Yuy was riding around the perimeter of the closest pasture to make sure the fences were still up. Duo led his horse inside and crosstied her before stripping off her tack.

Wufei finished with his gelding and put him in his box stall for the night. He came over and picked up a brush to help Duo groom the patient mare. The two men worked in companionable silence, Trowa joining them soon after.

"Lena wants to stay at your place," he said, looking at Wufei.

The cowboy nodded. "Expected as much. That's fine with me." He set his brush down and patted the horse's slick neck.

"Feel sorry for her." Trowa unclipped the mare's halter and put her away for the night.

"She's better off without him." Wufei put all the brushes back in the caddy and carried it to the tack room.

Duo hefted the tack and followed. Listening to his friends, they could've been talking about Tom, or Heero. Yuy had been silent on the round-up, offering only snarls when asked anything, until they'd all given up. It wouldn't be such a big deal if he really wasn't into her anymore. The problem was, he was.

Heero stalked into the barn and dropped his gelding's reins to the floor. He unsaddled him, and started for the tack room. Wufei offered him a brush, which he snatched and went back to his horse.

"I'm going up to the house." Trowa gave Heero a wide berth.

"Me too." Wufei followed, and Duo silently cursed them for being cowards. He leaned against the tack room's door and watched as Yuy systematically brushed the gelding down with long, sweeping strokes. Once finished, he put the horse away and bulled past Duo to put the tack and brush back.

"You gonna be social tonight? She doesn't need your attitude."

Heero stiffened and clenched his fists. "Shut it, Maxwell."

Duo sighed. "Don't know why I bother." He left the barn, whistling some old rock song about a girl named Eileen. The house smelled wonderful when he got in, and he kicked his boots off, hung up his hat, and hurried into the kitchen. Hilde was setting the table and giggling over something Wufei had just said, and Trowa was helping Relena with the mashed potatoes. Duo relaxed. At least these friends weren't snarling and snapping – yet.

"Hey, gorgeous," he whispered, and pulled Hilde flush against him. She smiled and swatted playfully at his hands.

"Duo," she whined, but she didn't mean it. This was the way they were, the way they'd always been.

"Food's on." Trowa skillfully maneuvered the potatoes onto the table. Fried chicken, green beans, and rolls filled the other empty spots, and Duo's stomach rumbled. He pulled a chair out for Hilde, and remembered to wash his hands before plopping down beside her.

"Heero coming?" Hilde asked, and he came banging into the mudroom. They all pretended not to listen to the river of foul words dripping off his tongue.

Hilde glared at all three of the men. "Okay, who put him in a mood?"

"Not us," Wufei said, helping himself to the chicken.

"Wait," Relena said, giving him a disapproving look. Heero strode in and took his seat across the table from her. "Trowa, will you say grace?" she asked quietly.

"Sure." He spoke in a soft, quick tone, asking for grace and strength in their current situation, and then they all began loading their plates, Heero still sullen.

Duo frowned at him, not really understanding his surliness. "So, Lena, do you need any help with the arrangements?"

She shook her head, keeping her eyes down. "No. Trowa got everything set up." She cast a quick look at the police chief. "Thank you for doing all of that."

"Not a problem. The visitation is set for Thursday, the funeral on Friday," he told her.

She nodded and was silent after that. Duo took a bite of his roll. "So do you know what you'll do with the W?" He knew it might've seemed insensitive to ask, but he didn't want her dwelling on Tom's death.

Relena sat back in her chair, her plate mostly untouched. "I'm not sure. Ken Wallace offered to buy it."

Heero made some snarling comment beneath his breath, and Duo said, "Would you sell to him?"

"Would you stay on if I did?"

"No." Heero's reply was furious.

Duo shrugged, rolling the idea around in his head. "Not sure. I'm not real crazy about him."

"Can we talk about something else?" Hilde asked. "Like how fabulous my last run in Oklahoma was?" There was a teasing tone to her voice, but Duo saw the plea in her eyes.

"Saw it on TV," Trowa said. "First place."

"New horse is quick," Wufei added.

Hilde grinned. "He sure is. I think we'll be in pretty good position for the Finals at the end of the year." She nudged Duo. "You should go to Vegas with me."

Duo met her eyes, not quite sure she was sincere. He had offered to go in past years to cheer her on, and she'd always said it wasn't a big deal, and she wouldn't be able to spend time with him, anyway. "Really? Why the change in heart?"

"What do you mean?"

"You've never wanted me to go along before."

Hilde's eyes widened. "That's not true. I always thought you had to work, being foreman of the ranch."

Duo tore into his chicken. Did she really think that? Or was it just an excuse, like so much of what she said was? He chewed thoughtfully and swallowed. Everyone else was quiet, avoiding any sort of eye contact.

"Duo? Do you really think I wouldn't want you there?" Hilde asked, her eyes locked on him.

He swallowed some milk, still considering. "I figured I'd just interfere with whoever you were seeing at the time," he said.

Her eyes flashed, and her cheeks colored. "Are you accusing me of sleeping around?"

He met her anger with calm acceptance. "No, but I know you. Once you leave town, it's a new guy every rodeo." She started to sputter, but he held up a hand to stop her. This needed to be said. He'd been carrying it around for far too long. "I'm not mad, babe. I agreed to the arrangement. But don't expect me to drop everything for you whenever you want me to, because I won't."

The kitchen was silent; no one seemed to be breathing. Hilde looked down at her plate, and Duo thought maybe there were tears in her eyes. But she said nothing, and he wasn't feeling charitable enough to comment. Relena got up and carried her plate over to the sink. Heero started to say something, seemed to think better of it, and kept quiet.

"Wufei, is it all right if I stay at the Dragon?" she asked, her voice wooden.

"Yes, for as long as you'd like," was his quick reply.

"You should stay here." Heero had sat back in his chair, his blue eyes nailed to Relena's thin form. She stiffened and shook her head. "It's your ranch now."

"It's never going to be mine. It's not my home," she said. She turned to face them, her eyes full of misery and grief.

"And the Dragon is?" Heero shot back. Anger crackled through his eyes.

Relena drew a sharp breath. "I feel more comfortable there. This place," she made a wide sweeping gesture, "is full of bad memories."

"So you're running away. Well, you're good at that." Heero got to his feet. He slammed his chair against the table.

Relena's mouth fell open. Duo got up and shoved his chair against the table too. "Out of line, Yuy," he snapped.

"It's true." Heero started for the door, but didn't make it. Duo grabbed his shoulder and spun him around, hitting him hard in the face. Heero retaliated with a right cross, and knocked Duo down. As he was about to grab him by the collar, Relena shoved Heero's left shoulder, and he growled something unintelligible.

"Leave him alone," she ordered, pulling Heero back. "Duo, get up. Right now."

Duo got to his feet, his face stony. "Lena, stay out of this."

"No. No, I will not. This is _my_ ranch, and—"

"Oh, so _now_ it's yours? _Now_ you want to run it?" Heero shook her hand off. "Stay out of this." He took a step toward Duo, but Relena got in between them and pushed against his chest.

"I _said_ to leave Duo alone." Her tone was ice.

"Haven't you left yet?" Heero asked, stepping back so her hands fell off his chest. "We don't need you to run the W. We do just fine."

"Yuy!" Trowa spat his name.

Heero shrugged. "It's true, Barton. She belongs in New York." His eyes glittered.

"Heero, that's enough," Wufei warned. He and Trowa were standing. Fury stood out in their faces.

Relena's shoulders started to shake. Duo came around her so he could see her face, and he could tell how hard she was trying to control her tears. He started to turn on Heero, to lay him out for being so cruel, but Relena managed to pull it together.

"You're fired, Heero. Get your things, and get off my property," she said.

Heero's gaze turned to steel. "You—"

"No. You're done talking. Get out."

He stormed past her and threw open the back door, hard enough Duo thought the hinges would break. They heard his old truck start up, and in a roar he was gone.

* * *

_Just who the hell does she think she is? _Heero turned the radio full blast as his boot drove the pedal to the floor. _She isn't my boss. She can't fire me._ But she'd done just that, thrown him out, turned him loose. _Fine by me. I hated being there with her, anyway._ He wouldn't let himself think anything different. This was her fault. She should've let him and Maxwell finish it.

But even as he tried to rationalize what he'd said, his temper faded. He knew he deserved the firing. He was surprised he'd gotten off that easily; Trowa, Wufei, and Duo would probably be gunning for him the next time they saw him. _Not that I don't deserve that, too._ He pounded his hand on the steering wheel. He hadn't wanted to talk to Relena that way, but he knew he'd been letting himself get too close to her again.

_She's going to leave._ Montana was no longer her home, and with Tom dead, her last family tie was broken. Ken Wallace would probably buy the W, and that would be the end. _I shouldn't have gotten so close to her._ While he wanted to be compassionate, he could ill afford to let her back into his heart. She didn't want it, anyway. She hadn't eight years ago, either.

He stopped at the end of the road, the engine idling. A light rain misted the windshield. Where could he go now? There weren't many places an out-of-work, bum-legged cowboy would be welcome. Quatre might take him in, but that family had enough stuff going on. There was a beep behind him, and he saw Trowa's truck. _Great. That's all I need._ Trowa got out and loped up to his window, which he grudgingly rolled down.

Rain ran down off the police chief's hat, and his eyes were cool and calculating. "You can stay at my place."

Heero wanted to say no. The word hung from his tongue, but he couldn't force it out. He really had no other option, no other place to go. So he nodded. Once.

Trowa went back to his vehicle, and followed Heero to his place. Heero parked near the rundown garage and watched as Trowa pulled into it. He got out and waved at Heero, who swore softly under his breath and got out. He really didn't want to accept his friend's charity, and that's definitely what it was.

Trowa hung up his keys and kicked his boots off. Heero did the same, already disliking how all this felt. He should've been at the W, doing the last night check before retiring to the bunk house. The two men were quiet for the next ten minutes, while Trowa made coffee, and Heero stewed. This just wasn't right.

"So." Trowa handed him a coffee cup and motioned to his small living room. Heero settled into a worn rocker, studiously avoiding any kind of eye contact. "You going to explain yourself?"

Heero's muscles tightened. He really didn't need this garbage. "No."

"You hurt her pretty bad." Trowa's tone was icy, and Heero tried not to flinch. "I'd stay clear of Maxwell and Chang for awhile."

"Not you?"

Trowa was silent, and Heero couldn't help but look over at him. He was sitting in another old rocker, staring at the blue mug in his big hands. "Can't have you out on the street. And no one else will likely take you in."

Ouch. Well, he already knew that. His surly manners hadn't made him popular with the other locals. "I don't need a babysitter, Barton."

"No." Trowa met his gaze. This time, Heero flinched. "What you need is a heart. And a good old-fashioned kick in the ass."

Heero scowled. He wanted to refute that, but deep down, he knew it was true. Relena needed someone she could count on, and he'd been that person for all of an hour. But he couldn't very well bare his heart to her, not when he was certain she'd be leaving as soon as possible.

"At least you aren't denying it." Trowa got up. "I need to feed my horses. I'll be back."

"Let me help." He could do that much.

"No. I don't need it." Trowa left with a bang of the outside storm door, and Heero slammed his mug down on the scarred coffee table.

_I don't need this. I don't have to take this._ He got up to pace. There were motels out along the highway; he could get a room until he'd figured out his next move. A picture on the wall caught his eye, and he walked over to it, instantly sick. _Senior year._ It was a shot of all of them, at the high school rodeo finals. Relena had had a frighteningly fast run on Sky; he remembered fear clawing inside him as the grey gelding had almost crashed into the gate after crossing the line. He and Trowa had won the team roping, and everyone thought they would go far with a huge rodeo career. Heero reached down to absently rub his right knee.

_What a joke that turned out to be._ He was lucky to be walking, all the doctors said. Roping again would be a miracle. _But Barton could've gone on. He could've made the NFR._ A lot of people thought he'd been stupid to give up the rodeo circuit, but Trowa was loyal. He wouldn't rope without Heero.

Thunder rumbled over the house, and Heero moved to another picture, this one of him and Trowa after their first pro win. Hilde had been ecstatic, hugging them both, happy to have them on the circuit with her. It'd been that night, after a lot of booze and incessant flirting, that he'd finally given in to her, letting her take him to her camper, her giggles softening as she led him inside. She'd gotten his hat off, and his shirt, her lips caressing his cheeks, his neck, his chest. But when she'd gone for his mouth, hers hot with cheap beer and passion, he'd bolted. The next morning, when they were both suffering from heavy hangovers, and he was feeling like an idiot, he'd apologized. Hilde had offered him another chance, and it would've been so easy. Duo had an understanding with her, and he would never have found out. But Heero still couldn't do it. Relena was the only girl he wanted to be passionate with.

_She was my hang-up then, and she still is._ He sighed and walked over to sit down. He really had been an idiot tonight, but there wasn't any way they could be together. When she'd dumped him, left him standing in her yard with a heart shattered through, he knew he'd never let her have a second chance. _I've spent eight years trying to get over her, to undo the damage she caused._

Trowa came in and sat down, coffee mug in-hand again. Heero waited for more backlash, quite certain he deserved it, but his old roping partner remained stoic, and he tried not to think about Relena, and how much pain she was undoubtedly in. _Some of which I caused._ A part of him, a very small dark part, relished in it. It was retribution for all the hurt she'd put him through eight years before.

And yet part of him, a much larger part, wanted to run back to the W, sweep her into his arms, and never let her go. _That isn't going to happen. Not now. I doubt ever._ He sipped his coffee, wondering how things would've turned out if she'd stayed, all those years ago.


	10. Chapter 10

_Gundam Wing_ and its associated characters don't belong to me.

Been a long time, I know.

BIG SKY LOVE

CHAPTER TEN

The following afternoon, Relena stood in the doorway of the Cole Funeral Home and waited for the community to come and pay respects to her father. She wore a simple black dress and black heels, and had her hair pulled into a bun at the base of her neck. It was warm in the viewing room, yet chills racked her. She glanced back over her shoulder at her father's coffin. A few groups of flowers were settled near it; she didn't expect any others to be joining their somber little garden. Tom Darlian hadn't been an easy man to like, though he'd been a fair and honest man. Perhaps too honest, in some respects.

"You holding up okay?" Trowa stopped next to her, his green eyes deep with concern.

"Yes." Another chill wended down her spine, and she shivered, causing his eyes to narrow as he shrugged out of his suit coat and draped it around her shoulders.

"You're a terrible liar," he told her.

"I know." She looked toward the hallway as another small group of older people made their way toward them. Trowa took a step away, seemed to think better of it, and stayed put next to her. She appreciated his closeness. Wufei and Duo were both coming later, after they'd gotten chores squared away at the ranches, and Hilde had been in and out all afternoon, checking on her. _And Heero has been absent all day._ Not that she'd expected any less; after firing him the night before, he wouldn't want to be anywhere near her.

"Relena." The older woman leading the small group reached around her, drawing her into a tight hug. "We're so sorry, sweetie."

"Thank you, Mrs. Winner," Relena said, pulling back. She had to fight down a sense of panic at being surrounded by these people. She felt like she was suffocating from all the emotions swirling within her. It seemed like she couldn't focus on anything.

"If you need anything, you just let us know," John Winner said, his voice quiet and steady. "Anything at all."

"Thank you," Relena said. She couldn't think of anything else to say, and realized they didn't expect her to, anyway. As they moved away, the other couple offered their condolences, and then Relena turned to Trowa, feeling suddenly shaky and faint.

"Hey." Trowa frowned and took hold of her forearm. "You need to sit," he said, and led her over to a small couch along the side wall. She sat down and he sat next to her. "Just rest, Lena. I know this is hard."

She nodded, unable to come up with anything to say. Her head was fuzzy with a headache, and she wanted nothing more than to go somewhere and sleep. She hadn't gotten much the night before; after firing Heero, she'd shut herself away in her bedroom and refused to come out. She'd thought Duo was going to kick her door down, but Hilde had convinced him to back off. Wufei had tried to talk to her, but she hadn't wanted anything to do with any of them, and he'd finally given up. _So stupid. They only wanted to make sure I was okay._

"Are you hungry? Thirsty?" Trowa asked, his voice soft and low. "Whatever you need, I can get it for you."

If only that were true. She wasn't even sure what she needed or wanted. Someone else entered the room, and she looked up to see Ken Wallace. He spied her and made his way toward her, darkness in his eyes that unsettled her stomach. She unconsciously leaned toward Trowa, who seemed to sense her apprehensiveness and put his arm around her shoulders, drawing her closer to his side.

"Relena, I know this is a bad time. But I really don't think you're cut out for running a ranch on your own," Ken said. He stood in front of her, his hands behind his back. "I'm willing to pay a fair price for the W. You know it's getting harder and harder to make a living out here, and you wouldn't want that old place hanging over your head."

She took a deep breath, trying to collect herself. It wouldn't do to snap at one of the wealthiest men in town. "That's very kind, Mr. Wallace, but I'm not sure what I'm going to do with the W yet. I'll keep your offer in mind, though," she said. She managed to keep her voice low and steady, and felt Trowa squeeze her shoulders.

Ken's eyes sparked, but he simply nodded and walked over to the casket, where he began talking to the Winners. Relena sighed and laid her head on Trowa's shoulder. "I don't know what to do," she whispered.

"You don't have to know what to do right now," he told her. "The ranch isn't going anywhere. And if Ken starts putting pressure on you, tell me. I'll make him back off." His voice had a growl through it, and she couldn't help but smile. The boys had always been protective of her and Hilde when they'd been in school; it was nice to know they still were when she needed them to be.

"Thanks," she said. Wufei and Duo walked in then along with Hilde, and they immediately came over, sitting on the other small couch.

"You okay?" Duo asked. His eyes traveled to Trowa and back to her, and she nodded.

"Just tired," she admitted when he made to argue with her. She glanced over and saw Ken watching her, and a chill descended throughout her body. _Why is he looking that way at me? _It was disturbing, and again she leaned a little into Trowa, who immediately tightened his hold on her.

"What is it?" he asked, his voice low enough she was the only one to hear him. She gave a little head nod toward Ken, who noticed Trowa's attention and turned back to the others in the group. "I'll talk to him," Trowa said and started to get up.

"No, don't. It's okay," Relena rushed to say. She didn't want a scene being made, and had a feeling that if Trowa reprimanded him, Ken would start one. And, it was nice being held like this, even though there were no romantic feelings between them. _Trowa's the brother I always wished I'd had._ They'd always been close; he was the boy she'd been able to really talk to in school, and they'd spent a lot of time together growing up. It stood to reason then that he would be this protective of her, this quick to make sure someone wasn't bothering her.

"If he's making you uncomfortable, it's not okay," Trowa told her. But he stayed next to her, his grip warm and secure.

"You only have another hour," Hilde said. She reached into her purse and brought out a bottle of water, handing it to Relena.

"Thank you," she said. She took a couple of swallows and then offered it to Trowa, who shook his head.

"Quatre been here yet?" Wufei asked.

"No, but I'm sure he will be," Relena said. She couldn't imagine him not showing up, and was a little surprised he hadn't come with his parents.

They were quiet for awhile then, Relena guessing that none of them really knew what else to say to make things easier for her. Sylvia and Dorothy would be here the following day, in time for the funeral, but they had to fly back the same night, unable to get more time off than that. And while she understood, of course, she wished that they could've at least stayed a few days. She knew Hilde would fit right in with them, even though she was no high-society heiress like Dorothy was, or a highly-privileged trust fund baby like Sylvia. In fact, it was a little amazing that she herself fit in so well with them. But they weren't snobs by any means, and though liking to spend the money their bloodlines provided, they also worked at fairly normal jobs, wanting to prove that they could make in the world by themselves.

Quatre came in ten minutes later but ignored them, instead making a straight line for his parents. He spoke quietly with them, and John and Mary suddenly left in a rush. Quatre spoke a little with Ken, and then made his way over to Relena. "I can't stay," he said, kneeling so he was on her level. "We've had fences cut and have cattle out on the roads," he added. "But I'm so sorry, Relena. I'll be at the funeral tomorrow." He gave her a quick hug and got to his feet.

"I'd better take a run out and look around," Trowa said. He looked at Relena, an apology already forming on his lips.

"It's okay," she quickly assured him. She looked at Duo and Wufei. "Why don't you guys go help the Winners? And Hilde, you too? I'm fine here. I don't expect too many more people."

"I don't think we should all leave you," Wufei said, but she could tell he really wanted to go and help.

"No, really, it's okay. Go," she urged them.

Trowa leaned over and kissed her forehead. "I'll give you a call later," he said. "If you need anything, just let me know." He got to his feet, glancing toward Ken. The older man was still hanging around.

"Same here," Wufei said. He got up and moved to give Relena a tight hug.

"Hilde, stay here with her," Trowa said. His voice held a ring of command that had Hilde looking like she might want to protest. Relena saw the direction he was looking, and found herself hoping Hilde would agree to stay, too. She didn't know exactly what Ken's deal was, but didn't want to be left alone with him. The other couple who'd come in with the Winners had since left, and yet Ken was still hanging around, reading the cards attached to the flower arrangements.

"Don't argue with me," Trowa said, looking at Hilde now. He jerked his head toward Ken; Hilde's eyes widened for a second, and she nodded.

"Ah, gotcha," she said. She walked over and sat beside Relena. "Don't worry. I've got this. You guys go help Quatre," she added.

Duo got to his feet and came over, bending to hug Relena. "I'll see you at home," he said, and pulled back, his eyes searching hers.

"I'm going to stay at Wufei's tonight," she said, and glanced at Wufei. He nodded.

"That's fine," he told her. He'd given her a key to the back door earlier that day, telling her she could come and go as she liked. It was nice, knowing how much he trusted her.

"Okay," Duo said. She wasn't sure how much to read into that one word, or his neutral tone, but the flash in his cobalt eyes was a different matter. She knew he wanted her to stay with him at the W, but didn't feel comfortable there. If she hadn't of been so miserable the night before, locking herself in her bedroom, she wouldn't have stayed then, either.

The three of them left, leaving her with just Hilde and Ken. Both girls kept glancing at Ken. Relena expected him to approach her again once the boys had left, and gradually he did, sauntering over with a look his eyes that let her know he meant business, and wouldn't be so easy to evade this time.

"Don't worry. I'll tell him off," Hilde whispered in Relena's ear. "He thinks he's such a big shot."

"He kind of is," Relena whispered back. The fact that Ken owned most of the property around the town of Kingston made most people acquiesce to whatever he wanted without much fuss. She swallowed hard as he pulled a chair up just to the side of her and sat down. She didn't say anything, though, just waiting for him to speak first.

Ken settled into his chair and folded both hands on his trim stomach. "Now that your bodyguard isn't here," he started, winking at her, "I wanted to let you know that I'm not going away. I'm going to keep asking about the W until you decide it's in your best interest to let me buy it."

Hilde scowled and leaned toward him. "That sounds an awful lot like a threat to me, Mr. Wallace." She spoke softly, but there was a definite edge to her voice.

He smiled. "Now, now, Hilde. That was in no way a threat. I'm just letting Relena here know how serious I am about her daddy's place." He reached out and touched Relena's knee. She quickly moved her leg, and he grinned at her. "See how friendly I can be? Let's all be friends."

"Let's not," Hilde snapped. She looked at Relena, who was frowning and trying not to act or look intimidated.

"Mr. Wallace-"

"Ken, darlin'," he said.

"Ken." Relena drew a quiet deep breath, wishing now that her male friends hadn't departed. "I know you're interested. But can you tell me why? You said yourself that it's getting harder to make a living doing ranch work, so why would you want to add another place?" She watched him closely, seeing the anger that darted through his dark eyes for a moment. It made her skin crawl.

He leaned toward her, again reaching out to touch her, this time on her arm. "I got a lot of cattle, sweetheart, and I need more grazing room for them. That's what I'd use your daddy's ranch for," he said, his voice low and soft, as if admitting a secret.

She quelled the urge to move away from him, but his hand was tight on her arm, and his eyes watched her like a hawk. A shiver danced across her shoulders. "Well, I haven't given much thought to what I'm going to do with the W," she said. "There're a lot of things to think through."

"That's the beauty of my offer," he said. "Just sell it to me, and you'll be done. You can go back to living the high life in New York City." He squeezed her arm. "That's what you really want, isn't it? It's why you ran away after high school." His tone was smooth as glass, and dark.

Relena tried to pull away, not at all comfortable with his nearness or his touch, but Ken simply held on, keeping her there. Hilde started to say something, but Ken glared at her, and she stopped. Relena wasn't so sure he wouldn't try to hurt them if she didn't agree to sell the W right then. As she tried again to move away, she heard hard footfalls coming their way and looked up, pulse jumping, a spike of heat warming her chest.

"Get your hand off her." Heero closed the distance between the entryway of the room and them in five long strides, his face a mask of stone.

Ken smiled at him and eased his hand off Relena's arm. "Mr. Yuy. Was wondering when I'd run into you again." His tone was still smooth, but like ice now, and he didn't move out of Relena's space.

Heero deliberately sat down on the arm of the couch, wedging himself between Relena and Ken. He looked at her, searching her eyes, and fire crept into his. He turned to say something to Ken, but the older man got up and tipped his hat to Relena and Hilde. "Relena, Hilde, been nice chatting with you. Relena, I'll be in touch." Before Heero could say anything, he turned and left the room.

"What a jerk," Hilde said, her voice hot. "I should've told him what I thought of his offer."

"Offer? What offer?" Heero asked. He kept his eyes locked on Relena, and she took a slow breath before saying anything. Her heart was still pounding from seeing him again, and seeing him like this, in protect mode. But she had to remember what all had been said the night before, how things had ended between them.

"He just wants to buy the W," she said. She heard Hilde inhale and gave her a little poke with her left hand. Heero didn't need to know how belligerent Ken had been with her. This wasn't his concern. The W had stopped being his concern the night before, and she'd stopped being his concern eight years earlier.

But she should've known he wouldn't buy such a lame excuse. "I know that." He looked past her to Hilde. "What did he say?"

"He said he wants to use the W to graze his cattle," Hilde told him. "But he told her he won't go away, that he'll keep bugging her about it." When Relena shot a little look of consternation her way, Hilde shrugged. "That's what he said."

"He won't bother you again," Heero said. His tone was full of finality, and Relena turned her eyes back to him.

"It doesn't concern you," she told him. Her voice was sharp, and when his eyes narrowed into dark blue slits, she added, "I don't need your help."

His jaw muscles clenched, and he seemed to be waging a war of whether or not to keep his mouth shut. Relena took the moment to glance at her cell, and saw that it was just past closing time for the visitation. She got to her feet and smoothed out her dress. It was a blessing that she'd packed it; it meant that she hadn't had to go shopping for something funeral-appropriate. Glancing at the casket, her face softened for a moment. If only they'd been able to work their differences out.

"So." Hilde, too, got to her feet. "I think I'm gonna head over to the Winner's, and see if everything is okay."

"What happened?" Heero asked. He was pointedly ignoring Relena now.

"Quatre stopped by and said someone had cut some of their fences, and their cattle were all over the place. Trowa, Duo, and Wufei left to go help catch them," she said. "Relena, you want to go with me?"

What else did she have to do? Duo had already taken care of the chores at the W. "Okay," she said, nodding. She turned to leave, knowing full-well she should at least say something to Heero, and not knowing what. Yes, he'd run Ken off. That had been nice, and she was thankful for that. But the fact still remained that he'd been a jerk to her, and that he was no longer working at the W.

Hilde bit her lip, as if wanting to say something, and not knowing what. She finally turned and walked out, and Relena made to follow. But a strong hand snagged her elbow, and forced her to a stop. "Heero, don't," she warned. She wasn't in the mood.

"Be careful," he said.

She turned to face him, and was surprised by the force of emotion in his eyes. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, someone is out there, messing with other people's ranches. I don't know why, and I don't want you to get hurt." His tone was firm.

She felt heat flood her face and wished she'd left her hair down so she could hide it. His words shouldn't have an affect on her like this, nor should the sincerity in his eyes. "Thank you. I'll be careful," she told him. He nodded his head once and left her standing there, and she sighed. Why couldn't anything ever be easy with him? What right did he have to act protective of her, telling her to be careful, and then leave her standing there like an idiot?

"You okay?" Hilde's soft voice snapped her out of her funk.

"Yeah." Relena didn't want to get into it with her, didn't want her asking questions that she didn't have the answers to. "Let's go." As they left the viewing room, she cast one last look back at her father's casket, and wished that she'd had one last good day with him. One last day to remember the man she'd thought he was while growing up, instead of the man she'd found him to be in her teen years. Squaring her shoulders, determined to not let another man ruin anymore of her life, she followed Hilde out to her big Chevy pickup.


	11. Chapter 11

Gundam Wing and its characters don't belong to me.

Wow, thank you for all the enthusiastic reviews to the last chapter! I was wondering if anyone out there in the fandom would remember _Big Sky Love_, and you apparently did. I am rediscovering my love of the GW characters, and why I spent so much time writing about them. The plan is to alternate writing chapters of this story with my TMNT story, _Confidence_, in the hopes of finishing them both sooner. So again, thank you! I really appreciate you taking time to not only read the chapters, but letting me know what you think.

I'm taking a few liberties with time frames regarding high school final rodeos. I don't think it matters too much. I am also letting the characters dictate the chapters, so some chapters will be from only one character's perspective (like the last one), and some will be from two or three different ones.

BIG SKY LOVE

CHAPTER ELEVEN:

Duo reined his horse, a sorrel Quarter Horse gelding nicknamed Tater, back toward the main corral at Winner Quarter Horses. He glanced toward Wufei, who was riding a bay mare, and made a quick motion with his left hand. Wufei nodded and trotted his mount around the side of the four Herefords they were driving back toward the ranch. One of the ranch's hands was waiting at the gate to the corral, ready to swing it shut once they got the cows inside. With a few expert moves by the two horses they were riding, the cattle were herded inside, the gate was shut, and they were done riding. Trowa and Quatre had helped another group of ranch hands round up the other runaway cows.

Wufei swung down off his mare and patted her neck, talking quietly to her for a few moments before leading her over to where Duo was waiting with his mount. "That didn't take as long as I expected it to," the Chinese man said.

"Nah." Duo stroked his horse's nose. "We better get these two put away."

Wufei nodded and they headed toward the main barn, where the horses used every day were kept. They saw Trowa and Quatre heading their way too, and Duo wondered if Trowa had found anything while they'd been out bringing the cows back. Just as they reached the barn, a truck pulled in and parked near the main corral. Hilde climbed out of the driver's side and Relena stepped down from the passenger seat, smoothing her black dress and pulling her fleece jacket closer about her slim frame before heading toward them.

"Did you guys get all the cows rounded up?" Hilde asked, stopping next to Duo and reaching to pat his horse's neck.

"We did," Duo said, but his gaze remained on Relena, watching as she gracefully negotiated the rough terrain in her high-heels. When she reached the group, Wufei reached out and took hold of her elbow, helping to steady her. She gave him a sweet smile in return, and Duo's heart took a tumble. _I want her to smile at me like that_. The thought was fleeting, and he had to consciously force himself to pay attention to the others.

"I took a look at the fences that were down, and they've been cut," Trowa said, his voice quiet. "It's getting too dark to see much else, so I'll be out first thing tomorrow morning to look around again," he said, directing his words to Quatre.

The blond nodded. "I'll let my dad know." He took a step closer to Relena. "I'm sorry I wasn't able to stay any longer," he apologized.

Her blue eyes widened. "It's okay, really. I'm just glad you got all the cows taken care of." She shivered as a gust of wind charged through the air, and Wufei drew her tighter to his side.

"Why don't you head back to the Dragon?" he said. "I'll be home as soon as I get my mount put away."

"I can give her a ride," Hilde said. She stood on tip-toe to press a kiss to Duo's cheek, drawing his attention back to her. As she smiled up at him, with the twinkle in her eyes that had made him fall for her in the first place, he felt himself falling again. He knew, way down deep, in the place he didn't ever explore too much, that she would always be _his_ girl, regardless of how she flirted with other guys.

But even as he was thinking this, Relena's quiet tinkle of laughter at something one of the other's had said shot a small piece of jealousy into his heart, and he glanced over Hilde's head at the petite honey-blonde. He knew it was dangerous to think any type of romantic thoughts about her, yet he couldn't help but think how nice it would be to sit in front of a roaring fire with Relena, cuddled up beneath a heavy quilt, and simply be together.

"Duo?"

He looked down, into Hilde's blue eyes, and saw the questions in them, questions he wasn't ready to answer, wasn't even sure he _had_ any answers. "Yeah, babe?"

She stared up at him for several seconds. "Everything okay between us?" she asked. Her voice was soft as a newborn foal's coat, and he winced inwardly, knowing darn well everything wasn't okay.

"Yeah, we're fine," he reassured her, hoping his firm voice was enough to convince her. She nodded, seeming to buy it, and kissed him on the lips, as if needing to reaffirm that they were together. He wrapped his left arm around her, squeezing her tight to his body for a few moments before letting go.

"I'll see you tomorrow, at the funeral," she whispered and turned away, walking over to Relena, who stood quietly in the midst of the other three men. "Ready, Lena?" Hilde asked.

Relena nodded, and said something softly to Wufei, who immediately nodded and gave her arm a squeeze before letting go. Quatre and Trowa gave both girls a hug, and then Relena made her way carefully over to Duo. When she reached him, she looked up into his eyes, and he swallowed hard at the emptiness in hers. "I'll see you tomorrow," he said, and hugged her close, letting himself enjoy, even for that brief few seconds, the softness of her body against his. She pulled back and smiled at him.

"Thank you for being there for me today," she whispered.

"Anytime," he said. She nodded and walked over to Hilde, and together the two young women made their way back to Hilde's truck. Duo watched them the entire way, and wasn't sure which girl commanded more of his heart. He figured it would be a toss-up right then.

Later, after the horses and tack had been put away, he headed out to his truck, intent on going back to the W and watching late-night TV to try and unwind. As he was getting into his truck, Trowa caught up to him and kept him from shutting the door. Duo stared at his friend, already guessing what it was Barton wanted. After he'd watched the girls walk back to the truck, he'd found Trowa watching him with speculative eyes, and figured he was busted.

"Lena told me Heero stopped by the funeral," Trowa said. His tone was soft and neutral.

"That's good." Duo kept his tone the same, not giving Barton anything to work with.

Trowa regarded him for several long seconds. "You know how he feels about her," he said. There was no judgment in his voice, which only seemed to make it harder for Duo to hear.

"Yeah, I know." He stared out his windshield. "You know I'd never make a move on her."

Trowa remained silent, causing Duo to look at him and scowl. "I do know that. But I also know she's hurting something fierce right now, and it's easy to give her a shoulder to cry on and let it lead to other things," Trowa said.

"Shouldn't you be more worried about Chang than me? She's staying at _his_ place," Duo said. It was hard not to be jealous of that fact, too. She should've been staying at the W, where he could personally make sure she was okay.

"He's not the one who watched her walk all the way back to the truck tonight," Trowa said. His voice was firm, and the hard look in his green eyes told Duo he was on thin ice. "Be careful, Duo. You say you won't get in between them, so make sure you don't." He turned to walk away.

Duo knew he should've let it go, kept his anger to himself, but his mouth was firing off words before he could stop it. "He doesn't deserve her, Barton, and you know it. She needs someone who'll be there, and he's not going to be that guy." The animosity in his tone shocked him, but he couldn't hold it in any longer. When Trowa kept on walking, Duo swore beneath his breath and slammed his door before driving his truck out of the yard. What right did Trowa have, getting involved with Relena and Heero? _He oughta stay out of it. It's not his place._ But, if he really thought about it, it wasn't his, either. He knew how they felt about one another, whether they wanted to show it or not. _Aw, damn. _He'd had no right getting upset with Trowa. Turning up the radio to drown out the rest of his guilty thoughts, he drove toward the W.

* * *

Relena changed out of her dress and into comfy pajama pants and an old high school rodeo sweatshirt that had seen better days. She smiled as she pushed a finger through the holes in it, remembering how Dorothy and Sylvia had teased her about it and threatened to throw it out. She headed downstairs and opened the freezer, pulling out the carton of Rocky Road ice cream, Wufei's favorite. Scooping a generous amount into a bowl, she grabbed a spoon and walked into the living room. Settling on the couch, she clicked on the TV and roamed the channels, finally deciding on old episodes of _I Love Lucy._ As she watched, she was finally able to let down for the first time all day.

_I don't want to go tomorrow._ The preposterousness of that thought made her snort. Of course she had to go – it was _her_ father's funeral. Yet she couldn't bring herself to feel any remorse for the thought. She'd hoped they could reconcile before his death, but the longer she'd spent thinking about it, the more she'd known they wouldn't have. Tom Darlian had been nothing if not incredibly stubborn. She tipped her head back against the couch and sighed. Why had she even bothered coming back? What had it gotten her? Nothing.

And on top of all that, why had Heero had shown up? _I fired him, and kicked him off the W. There was no reason for him to come. It's not like he cares about me._ But even as she thought it, a tender flame lit within her heart. It had been good seeing him, especially when he was all fired up over Ken bothering her. _I always liked that protective side of him._ When they'd been dating, she'd always known that if anyone tried to harm her, in any manner, he would see to it that they themselves came to harm. More than a few other teenage rodeo cowboys had found that out the hard way, when they'd ended up on the business end of Heero's fist after hitting on her. The memory of Heero putting Todd Black down in the dust at their senior rodeo finals was one she'd never forget, and even now, it made her blush to remember how he'd held her after rescuing her from Todd's very unwanted advances in the barn where they'd stabled their horses for the weekend. _He was so sweet, so gentle with me after that. I never wanted to leave his arms._

But she had, only six weeks later, right after graduation, right after Tom had told her he'd sold Sky to a girl down in Texas. Relena set her empty bowl down on the end table and curled her feet up under her. It hadn't been fair. Sky had belonged to _her_, and he'd had no right to sell him. The memory of that morning brought tears to her eyes, and she dashed them away angrily. It wasn't fair that Tom was still making her cry. _He shouldn't have any control over me anymore._ But of course, she knew he would. He'd been her father, an amazing father at first, until her mother had passed on and he'd taken all the responsibilities of the W on himself, without asking for any help. Relena drew a deep, shaky breath. She supposed it was normal to dredge up old memories on the eve of her father's funeral, but she sure wasn't happy about it.

The back door opening had her hastily trying to dry her eyes and act as if nothing were wrong. She picked up her bowl and carried it out to the kitchen, where Wufei was kicking off his boots and taking off his barn jacket. He glanced at her, and immediately went still. Relena bit her lip. She'd never been good at hiding things from him. He was too perceptive.

"Relena—"

"Don't. I'm okay. Just remembering some things," she said, cutting him off. "But I really am okay." _Liar. You haven't been okay since you left eight years ago._ She ground her teeth in exasperation at the wayward thought.

Wufei straightened and walked over to take the bowl from her hands. He set it in the sink and turned back to her, his dark eyes searching hers. She wished she could disappear. Trowa had always been her brother, and Heero the boyfriend all the other girls had envied. But Wufei was the one she'd always been able to get deep with, the one who took things into his heart and examined them closely. He studied her for several long seconds before crossing his arms over his chest and leaning back against the counter. "You know you can talk to me."

She nodded. "I know. I'm just not sure I want to right now."

"Fair enough." He got himself a bowl and some ice cream and followed her back into the living room. Another episode was starting, and he smiled. "This was a great show."

"I always liked it." Relena sat down on the couch and gestured to the TV. "Things were so simple then, you know? They fought, they made up, they stayed together." She felt him look at her and blushed, knowing she was setting herself up for talk about Heero. But she wasn't sure she minded.

"He still cares about you," Wufei said. She looked at him, but he was facing the TV. "If he didn't, he'd have moved on a long time ago."

"Yes, I'm sure he had plenty of opportunities," she said. She'd intended it to sound bitter, but it came out wrong. This time, Wufei looked at her.

"He did," he said. "But he didn't want anyone but you."

"So why doesn't he tell me that, then? Why is he so angry with me?"

Wufei raised an eyebrow. "You really have to ask that? Who was it that left? It wasn't him."

Relena blushed and sighed. She slouched down on the couch and twined her hands together in her lap. "I know. But I was so upset. I didn't want to keep barrel racing without Sky. And Dad…he was impossible by that point. I couldn't talk to him anymore." The old aches and pains in her heart that she thought she'd buried long ago suddenly resurfaced, and tears rushed to fill her eyes. She blinked hard, not wanting to cry in front of her old friend.

"Hey." Wufei reached out and took her right hand, giving it a squeeze. "You had us to talk to. You had Heero. We'd have gotten you through it."

The simple honesty of his words broke down the few barriers she had left, and a sob escaped her throat. She pulled her hand from his and covered her face with it, weeping softly. The couch cushion flattened next to her and Wufei wrapped his arms around her, holding her close with one arm and stroking her hair with his other hand. She thought maybe he was murmuring to her as well, but couldn't hear over the sound of her thunderous heartbeats and sobs. She was so tired of holding everything in, of trying to stem the tide of emotions that had been threatening to drown her ever since she'd pulled into the W earlier in the week. It was nice to be held, to be cared for, and not have someone expect anything in return. She wasn't sure how long they stayed that way, but she was exhausted when she finally ran out of tears. Wufei eased away, rubbing her back, a frown of concern tightening his fine features.

Relena wasn't sure what she should say. She thought maybe she should be embarrassed, but couldn't dredge up that emotion. She and Wufei were close, close enough that he'd understood the flood of tears and how to help her with them. She let out a soft sigh and looked at him. He offered her a small smile, and she smiled back. "Thank you," she whispered. "I really needed that."

"I could tell," he said, his tone wry. He turned pensive for a moment or two, and added, "You really should talk to him."

"I know." But knowing and doing were very different things, and she wasn't sure she _could_ talk to him without it blowing into an argument. After all, Wufei was right. She was the one who had left. _I was so upset I didn't think about the ramifications. I just wanted to get as far away from Dad as I could._ And New York City was an alien world compared to this small Montana town. It had been exactly what she'd thought she'd needed at the time.

"You know, but you won't," Wufei chided. He got up and held out his hand to her, helping her to her feet as well. "Going to be a long day tomorrow. You need your rest."

She couldn't argue with that. She shut the TV off and followed him up the stairs, pausing at his bedroom door as he opened it. He turned to her, waiting. She swallowed hard, and just hugged him. Hard. He hugged her back, and held her for a moment or two, as if knowing instinctively that she needed that comfort, that stability. She stepped back and smiled. "Thank you, Fei, for everything. I wouldn't be able to get through all this without you."

His dark eyes were warm and he nodded. "You're welcome. I'm glad I can help." He nodded toward her room. "Try and get some rest tonight."

"I will." She walked to her room and went in, shutting the door and leaning back against it. Her eyes were heavy, but her mind was racing. Did Heero really still feel anything toward her? She knew Wufei wouldn't lie to her about it, yet she wasn't sure Heero could harbor any romantic feelings for her after she'd up and left him like she had. _Ugh. This is such a mess. I wish I could just tell him how I feel._ But if he didn't care about her, didn't want her around, why bother saying anything? She knew she couldn't take a rebuff from him. And after her dismissal of him the night before, and the outrage she'd seen in his blue eyes, she didn't think he'd want to talk to her. She walked over and grabbed her toothbrush and headed back into the hallway. After brushing her teeth, she hurried back to her room and got into bed, already aware that it was pointless. She doubted she'd be able to conjure up sleep, and if she did, it would be restless.

_But what else can I do?_ Aware that thought applied to more than just sleep, she sighed and flopped over on her back. _How do I feel about Heero? Do I even want to try and start something with him again? _She had a new life now, one that she loved and that suited her. She had new friends, too, though she knew in her heart they'd never take the place of her ones out here. Still, the longer she stayed here, among the horses and genuinely friendly faces, the more she was starting to long for her old life. But if Heero was never going to be a part of her life out here, was it worth it? Just throwing away her New York life for this one? She pulled her pillow over her face and groaned. Why did this have to be so difficult?

She checked her cell phone, and saw a text message from Sylvia, saying she and Dor would be in the following morning at eight-thirty. She smiled. She'd be glad to see them again; it seemed like forever since she'd left the big city. Trowa had agreed to go pick them up, for which she would be eternally grateful, since she wasn't sure how she'd be feeling. _I know I won't be feeling like I want to be there._ The funeral was going to be hard. She set her phone down and rolled over on her side, closing her eyes. _I need to at least try and sleep. _Focusing on that, she soon began to drift into the first stages of sleep, the heaviness of her emotions silently dragging her down.


	12. Chapter 12

I don't own _Gundam Wing_ or its characters. I'm only borrowing them.

Wow, really, thank you for all the reviews. I can't get over how this story seems to be grabbing people and making them want more. I know some of you are anxious for more Heero and Relena moments, but relationships can't be rushed. They'll get there….or maybe they won't. Everything will, as the old saying goes, come out in the wash.

In particular, thank you to ViciousBlueSummers. You have no idea how your kind, "heavy hitter" words have affected me.

BIG SKY LOVE

CHAPTER TWELVE:

Heero sat down to pull on his black cowboy boots, reflecting for a moment that this was the first time he'd worn them since winning the roping competition down in Texas, right before his accident. His blue eyes hardened. This wasn't the best time for that memory to come to surface. He had enough things to think about. Trowa sat down next to him and sipped from an old red coffee mug bearing the name of his father's bar. He was quiet for several long moments, prompting Heero to glance at him. "What?"

"Those boots." Trowa didn't need to say anything else. They'd never spoke of the promising career that had fallen to pieces before their eyes when Forge stumbled and fell, pinning and crushing Heero beneath him. They'd been well on their way to becoming the national team roping champions, and no other team worked as well together as they did.

Heero didn't say anything. What could he say? That he was sorry for ruining any chance they'd had at winning at the National Rodeo Finals? He'd expected Trowa to find another partner, to go back on the circuit and finish what they'd started, but Trowa hadn't gone on. He'd come home with Heero instead, and found a new job that seemed to suit him just fine. But Heero knew his friend watched all the team roping competitions he could find on TV, was still interested in competing. _I wish he would. He's a constant reminder that I'm never going to be like I was. Never._ He was taken aback by the sudden rush of tears in his eyes, tears that he blinked furiously to get rid of. Always able to keep a handle on his emotions, he was surprised by this rush of feelings. _Well, I almost always have control._ When he'd been dating Relena, his control had been a struggle, especially when some other cowboy started getting too close to her. He smirked as he thought of Todd Black. It'd felt good putting his face in the dust that day at their senior high rodeo finals.

"You ready?" Trowa's soft voice broke into his thoughts, and Heero nodded, easing himself to his feet. His right knee tended to get sore when he sat for too long. _Or when I stand or kneel or ride for too long._ It was sore quite a bit of the time. He'd learned to accept it, even though he hated it.

"Yeah." He followed Trowa out to his truck and climbed in the passenger side. Trowa started it and backed out, pointing at the seat buckle. Heero sighed and put on his seat belt. It just seemed so ridiculous, and in a different time, he might've laughed. But there would be no laughing today. He closed his eyes and let his mind wander to Relena. She'd been frightened the night before, and it'd been all he could do not to take Ken's head off.

"Relena's friends are nice," Trowa said.

Heero didn't say anything. He really didn't care about her friends from New York. In fact, he didn't care that much about anyone but Relena right then. If only he could talk to her, really talk, she might see how much he still cared. But she'd made it clear the night before, and the night before that, she wanted no part of him. She'd said she didn't need him. And that was fine. He'd been telling himself for eight years that he didn't need her, either.

"She's going to have a tough time, so be respectful." Trowa's voice was more of a growl, and Heero looked over at him. Trowa's face was set with grim lines.

"You think I won't be?"

"I think you're mad she fired you, and just mad at the world in general." Trowa's tone dared Heero to contradict him. "Be on your best behavior, Yuy."

Heero's fists clenched at the condescending words, but he held his tongue. Trowa was the only one who seemed to care anything about him right then, and he knew he needed at least one friend on his side. Or, at the very least, one friend willing to stand on the line between Relena and himself. He turned his head out the truck window and watched the countryside roll by. Ten minutes later they arrived at the funeral home, and he got out, easing down onto his right leg. The knee almost buckled, but he caught himself on the door until he could stand upright. Trowa waited for him, understanding radiating in his deep green eyes. Heero ignored him and was about to go in when Duo and Wufei stepped in front of the door. He tensed at the sight of their scowls.

"Watch yourself today," Wufei said. His tone was casual, with a steel underlay.

Heero couldn't even bring himself to acknowledge him, so ridiculous was the warning. What right did they have to tell him to behave himself? He knew how hard this would be for Relena. That's why he was here: to make sure no one bothered her. He made to step between the two of them, but Duo pushed him backward.

"She's already hurting," Duo said. His voice was a growl. "Don't start anything."

Before Heero could tell the two of them what he was thinking, Trowa came up behind him and nodded at them. "He'll be fine. Come on. She needs us."

Wufei instantly turned away but Duo lingered to give Heero a scorching angry look. Heero started after him, coming up short when two blondes in black dresses and high heels descended on him. "You must be Heero," the taller one said. From the tone of her voice, that wasn't necessarily a good thing. He eyed her warily. "We want you to know that we think Relena's amazing, so don't think you can just break her heart again."

"That's right." The smaller blonde had flashing blue eyes, and a soft voice that he wasn't sure could ever sound as menacing as she meant it to.

"I'm not here to hurt her," he said. He kept his voice low, even, and that seemed to subdue the ire the blondes were radiating. They looked at each other, and the taller one held out a hand to him.

"Dorothy Catalonia," she said.

Heero shook her hand, saying nothing. They already knew who he was. There was no need to say it. The smaller blonde withheld her hand, and said, "Sylvia Noventa."

"Heero?" Hilde's subdued voice broke through the introductions, and she walked over to him, taking hold of his elbow. "Can I talk to you a sec?"

He nodded and tipped his head to the other two before allowing Hilde to drag him off to a corner of the funeral parlor. He glanced around the room but didn't see Relena. "What is it?" he finally asked, looking down at Hilde.

She glanced over her shoulder, and when she looked up at him, he saw the trepidation in her eyes. His gut tightened. "So…Todd Black is here." Heero's eyes narrowed into thin blue slits and he made to go past her, but she snatched his jacket sleeve in her hands. "Hold on! You can't go running over there and knocking him down. You'd get thrown out."

"So why'd you tell me then?" he growled. He jerked his arm out of her grasp.

"Because Relena needs you, that's why." Hilde's voice was still low, but there was a current of anger in it. "Ken Wallace is here, too. She needs someone to stand beside her and ward off their advances."

"Why not Trowa or Duo? Or Wufei?" Saying each of their names burned his tongue – _he_ was the one who should be by her side, but would she let him? "She's not going to be happy to see me."

"No, but you're the best guy for the job. Trust me." She touched his arm, drawing his eyes back down to hers. He took a breath at the solemn intensity in hers. "Just be there for her today, all right? No one's saying you have to play nice with each other, but she needs you. She's hurting."

He lifted his head and stared out into the large room. Chairs had been set up for the service, and people were beginning to occupy them. He wasn't even sure Relena was in the room, until he saw the two blondes and knew she had to be where they were. Hilde tugged on his sleeve, and he said, "I got it."

"Okay. Good. Go." She waved him off and made a beeline for where Duo, Trowa, and Wufei were standing.

Heero took another breath to steady his heartbeats and walked toward the blondes. Sylvia saw him coming and hid her mouth behind her hand to say something to Dorothy, who gave him a look he figured was supposed to deter him. It only made him more determined to see Relena. When he reached the small group, the blondes parted, leaving the object of his desire standing before him, in a black dress that clung to all the right curves and made his heart beat faster. She looked up at him, surprise in her eyes, and he frowned. Had she doubted that he'd show up? _She already made it clear she doesn't need you,_ he reminded himself. But he wasn't about to turn and walk away, especially when he heard a voice from his past that grated on every last nerve in his body.

"Relena. Sweetheart, I'm so sorry. I didn't know your daddy was that bad, or I'd of come home sooner." Todd Black stepped up beside Heero and reached a hand toward Relena. Heero took one step to the left, nudging the other man, and Todd glanced at him. "Oh, hey, Yuy. Didn't expect to see you here."

_I bet._ Heero merely glared at him and turned his attention back to Relena, who was watching Todd with wariness. She had every right to be wary; when Heero had finally tracked her down that night at the rodeo finals, Todd had her backed up against Sky's stall door, his hands on places that no other guy but him should've been touching. Deciding enough was enough, he parked himself next to Relena, making Sylvia move out of the way. Relena glanced up at him, and for that small second, he saw the gratitude in her eyes. His heart rate jumped.

"I heard Wallace has offered to buy the W," Todd said. His dark eyes had narrowed at Heero's sly move, but his attention was on Relena. "Maybe you should consider it. You could get another horse and come out on the circuit, keep Hilde company." He smiled and leaned toward her, lowering his voice, "And me."

It was all Heero could do to not retaliate. His body trembled with anger, but he held his tongue and his place at Relena's side. She needed him to be calm, not to get mad and throw down with Black, which was what he wanted to do.

"She's not staying here. She's coming back to New York, with us," Dorothy said. She raised an eyebrow at both men when they looked at her. "Well, she is. Her life is in New York now, not out here."

"Dor, I don't know for sure what I'm doing yet," Relena said. Her voice was soft as velvet. "I'm not deciding anything today."

Heero mentally applauded her decision, and her calmness. He knew that even though she and Tom hadn't gotten along in the last ten years or so, he'd still been her father. She would still miss him. Today wasn't going to be easy for her, but he'd make sure it went as smoothly as possible. Trowa walked over and Todd stepped aside for him.

"Lena, it's time to start," Trowa said. He held out a hand to her, and she grasped it tightly. Trowa exchanged a look with Heero before leading the young woman toward the front of the room. Heero made to follow them, but Todd blocked his path. Dorothy and Sylvia walked past them, Sylvia giving the two a questioning look. Heero ignored her and concentrated on Black.

Todd smiled. "Been a long time, Heero. Heard you bought a new horse from Winners. Thinking about coming back out?"

Heero gritted his teeth. Though in some ways he loved the small town life, in others he abhorred it. Gossip in a small town like Kingston always moved like a rattler, quick to inject its fearsome venom into the local community, regardless of how it might hurt the person being talked about. "Just needed a new horse," he finally said.

"Did you now." Todd's eyes iced down and took a step closer to Heero. "You're smart not to try and make a comeback. I heard your knee is a mess, is always going to be a mess. You wouldn't want to embarrass yourself or Barton out there." He smirked and turned away.

Letting him walk away was one of the toughest things Heero had ever done, but he did it. This was not the place to get into a scuffle, even though Black deserved to have his face punched in. _Focus on Relena._ Swallowing down his fury, he walked over and took the chair on Relena's left side. Trowa sat on her right, still holding her hand. Behind them, the two blondes sat in between Wufei and Duo, with Hilde to Duo's left. Quatre sat a row behind them with his parents. At the very least, Heero mused, Relena had lots of support to get through the day.

The only one who spoke was the funeral director. Heero paid him no mind, not caring about Tom's life, not until he mentioned Relena. As the director spoke about her, she seemed to withdraw into herself, her face becoming paler. When a tear tracked its way down the planes of her face, he reached for her left hand, squeezing it gently in his larger, stronger one. She never looked at him, but he got a small squeeze back, and something that felt a little like hope fluttered in his chest. The service was short and to-the-point, and too soon she'd slipped her delicate hand from his and turned away with Trowa, who looped his arm around her shoulders and held her close as they left the room. Heero sighed quietly to himself. It had felt nice, for those ten minutes or so, to be physically connected to her again, but he knew it wasn't nearly enough. _And she pulled away and went with Barton._ He couldn't bring himself to anger at the other man, though, knowing his history with Relena.

He walked out with the rest of his friends, if they were still that, and stood off to the side. Four older ranchers carried the casket out and set it in the back of the waiting hearse. Relena softly thanked them all, and then Wufei took her hand and led her toward his truck, a black Dodge emblazoned with the Spotted Dragon Ranch insignia. Heero watched them drive off and looked around for Trowa, who was escorting the two blondes over to his truck.

"Guess you need a ride," Duo said from behind him. Heero hated the surly undertones of his friend's voice, but couldn't argue.

"Yeah," he said. Duo rolled his eyes and gestured for him to follow him. Heero fell into step with Hilde, who reached over and tucked her arm through his right one. He tensed. He didn't want to talk about Relena or anything else right then, but to his relief, she merely walked with him to the truck, and then climbed up into it between him and Duo. They followed the funeral procession toward the old Kingston cemetery, one road over. Heero paid no attention to the other two occupants of the truck.

When they arrived, he got out and turned to give Hilde a hand down. She smiled and thanked him, her voice quiet. Together the three of them made their way to the graveside, where the hearse was parked. The ranchers eased the casket out of the car. Heero made his way through the people who'd come to stand next to Relena again, having to nudge aside Wufei, who met his eyes with a stern look but acquiesced. Without waiting for Relena to get emotional this time, Heero reached for her right hand, but this time she seemed uncertain about letting him take it. Before she could move away, he gripped her hand and when she looked up at him, he rubbed his thumb over the top of it in gentle circles. It was something he'd done years ago, when she'd be fretting and worrying while watching her competitors perform their barrel runs, and it had always calmed and soothed her. Now, as then, she relaxed and he let out a quiet exhalation of breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding.

The ceremony was over in a matter of minutes; it seemed no one was fond enough of Tom to linger longer than that. This time, when Relena made to escape his hold, he simply tightened his hand around hers and hung on. She glanced up at him, her eyes dull and red-rimmed, and he forced down the immediate protective response. They weren't together; it was no longer his place to feel that way, yet how could he not? As the small crowd made its way back toward the waiting vehicles, he kept her close to his side, moving her along fast enough that no one tried to approach her. Once they reached Wufei's truck, he opened the door and helped her up into it, climbing in beside her. Wufei got behind the wheel and looked over her head at him. Heero returned the look with a raised eyebrow, and his friend turned away and started the truck, driving out behind Duo and Hilde.

They were silent on the way over to a local church, where a lunch had been set up by Trowa's mother, Martha. When they reached the parking lot, Wufei parked and got out, giving Relena questioning look. "You okay?" he asked her.

Heero hated how sympathetic, how gentle, the other man sounded. If things hadn't ended so badly between them eight years ago, he'd be the one saying that to Relena, instead of a mutual friend. She turned her head to look at Wufei; whatever he saw in her gaze, he must've not of liked, as he started to get back in the truck.

"No, its okay," she whispered. She tilted her head back against the truck seat. "Just go, please."

"Relena-"

"Please," she whispered again, and this time, Wufei complied, but not before shooting Heero a sharp look intentioned to goad him into action. He needn't have bothered; Heero already had no intention of leaving the distraught young woman alone.

"Come in when you're ready," Wufei said and left.

Relena looked at Heero; he could see a few tears hanging on her lashes. "Just go, Heero. I need some time alone." Her voice had hardened, and his jaw clenched of its own will.

"You're not fine, so stop pretending," he ground out.

She turned her head away from him. "What do you care? Why are you even here?"

_Seriously? She _really_ just asked me that?_ Didn't she know that even though they'd had a fight, he wasn't about to let her go through this without him? They'd hurt each other. They'd said some pretty terrible things to one another. But never would he turn his back on her during a time like this. _I oughta just tell her that._ But thinking those thoughts and saying them out loud were two entirely different animals, and he couldn't bring himself to merge the two.

Glaring at him, she said, "See? You can't even tell me why you're here. So just go." But as hard as the words were, her voice had a thread of frailty in it that twinged his heart, and his eyes softened as he reached out to touch her cheek. Her eyes widened, and she jerked away, as if he were going to hit her. "Heero?"

He reminded himself that he'd done this, with his volatile temper and harsh words a couple nights ago. Still, she should've known him better than that. He would never hit a woman. "Relax," he said. "You should know me better than that."

She nodded. "Yes, I do know you better than that. It was a reflex, I guess." She sighed and turned her head away. "Why are you doing this?"

"I want to make sure you're all right." The words came easily enough, but he could see she wasn't sure about his motive.

"You just want your job back."

The words stung him, and he swallowed back an angry retort. "I could care less about that," he told her. "Why are you being so difficult?"

"Difficult? _Difficult_, Heero?" When she turned back to him, her eyes were full of lightning. "Yes, I'm sorry I'm being so difficult. It's not as if I just buried my father, have to decide the fate of his ranch, and have two men just waiting to hound me the second I walk through those church doors." Her tirade ended with a breathless little sob that punched him in the gut, and he stared at her, wordless. "Go, already. You don't care about me."

He found his voice. "The hell I don't." This time when he reached for her, she didn't jerk away. He took careful hold of her chin and tipped it up, so he could see her eyes. "I care more than you can imagine."

Tears pooled in her eyes, but before he could wipe them away as they trickled out, she pulled away from him and said, "Don't. Just…don't."

"Relena—"

"I said, don't." She finished wiping her tears and a cold look settled over her face. "It's been too long, Heero. I don't want to do this again."

"We're not doing anything," he countered. "Just sitting here. And as far as I know, that's all we're going to do."

She sighed. "I should go inside." Before she could scoot across the seat, though, he took hold of her right arm and stopped her. When she opened her mouth, he shook his head and leaned toward her.

"No. Just listen to me for a second." He took a breath to steady his pulse. "I _do_ care about you, Relena. I want you to be happy. I want you to be safe. And I know what we had is gone. It's been gone for a long time now. I'm not trying to start that up again. But don't, for one second, think I don't _care._ I've always cared." He let go of her and opened the truck door. Sliding out, breathing deep for balance for a second, he turned to face her. Her eyes were wide and soft, and he said, "Catch your breath, and come inside. I'll make sure Wallace and Black stay away from you."

Shutting the door, he strode away, and for once, his right knee didn't bother him.


	13. Chapter 13

I do not own _Gundam Wing_ or its associated characters. All I have is the plot.

I wanted to say sorry to the regular readers of this story, as I have not been able to keep updating it as much as I wanted to. My goal is to finish it before year's end, and that seems attainable. I am striving to finish my YA fantasy by the same time, as well, and my currently-running _TMNT_ story too. But I do hope to update more often than this.

Also, in case anyone missed the announcement in the Entertainment Weekly, Amazon is going to start publishing, as ebooks, fanfiction. Yes, that's right: we may be able to actually SELL our stories, as long as Amazon has permission from the ones who own the properties we write about. How cool is that? So, maybe, someday, if _Gundam Wing_ is one of those properties Amazon gets to use, I'll be able to sell these stories. And if not, ah well. I write them for fun (though honestly, I wouldn't turn down the money).

BIG SKY LOVE

CHAPTER THIRTEEN:

The room seemed to hush when Relena entered, and she immediately sought out any friendly faces she could find. She didn't have to wait long; Heero and Trowa were instantly at her sides, and her momentary panic subsided. After all, she was among friends here, for the most part. She saw Todd watching her and unconsciously reached for Heero's hand, his engulfing her smaller one with a tight squeeze. Once she realized what she'd done, she decided not to make a big deal out of it. And, truth be told, she was enjoying the physical contact with Heero. He made her feel warm, safe. At the moment, she wanted both of those things.

"Are you hungry?" Trowa asked. He'd seen Todd watching her, too, and moved half-a-step closer to her.

"No, not now," she said. She saw Heero glance at her, but he didn't say anything. Wufei, Duo, Hilde, and Quatre came over to them, forming a loose circle around her, and a sudden sense of family, _real_ family struck her. Tears leaked into her eyes, and she raised her free hand to bat them away. She'd already promised herself she wouldn't cry today, not here, not in front of all these tough Montana folks. Later, when she was lying in bed, covers pulled high to her chin, she'd let it all out.

"It's okay," Heero murmured, leaning down so his mouth just brushed her right ear. She blushed and hated it. Hated how he could still elicit such a quick response. He shouldn't have that ability, that power. She straightened and nodded.

"I'm okay," she whispered back.

"Come and sit down," Hilde said. She took Relena's free hand and led her over to a table near the food. Heero pulled out her chair for her, and again she blushed. It wasn't like he wouldn't do it for another woman. It was just the way he'd been raised. But it was hard to tell herself that and believe it.

"You don't have to stay here long," Trowa said. "No one will expect that."

"He's right," Wufei agreed. "You can go back to the Dragon and rest."

Relena nodded, but didn't say anything. She was tired of talking, tired of pretending that she was holding up okay. Her talk with Heero ten minutes ago had given her a lot to think about. She'd thought that things were finished between them for good, but was there hope? Could he ever forgive her for walking away so abruptly, for breaking his heart? Wufei certainly thought there was still something there, but was she willing to find out for sure? Did she want to start up something with the handsome cowboy who'd stolen her heart at age thirteen?

Sylvia and Dorothy made their way over to the table and sat down. Leaning forward, Dorothy said, "I certainly see why you like it out here, Lena. These people are wonderful."

"They really are," Sylvia echoed. She smiled shyly. "I'd love to take a vacation out here."

Relena smiled at her. "You should. It's peaceful." Peaceful enough that she was beginning to wonder if she wanted to return to New York. Though she'd missed the hubbub of the big city when she'd first come home, she didn't think she'd miss it anymore. She enjoyed the quiet nights curled up on Wufei's couch, watching RFD-TV and old _I Love Lucy_ reruns. Heero squeezed her hand gently, and she looked at him. The intensity with which he was looking at her made her stomach buckle, and she had to look away.

"So are you going to come back to New York anytime soon?" Dorothy asked. "I'm not rushing you, but we miss you dearly."

"I know, and I miss you two, too," Relena said. She noticed Quatre watching Dorothy, and smiled to herself a little. They would make a nice match, if either of them was willing to move.

"The ranch isn't going anywhere," Duo told her. "I mean, if you need to get back to the city soon. You can decide what to do with it later."

This was a huge concession on his part, Relena knew, as he didn't want her leaving. But he wanted her to be happy, too. They all wanted her to be happy. Unfortunately, she wasn't sure what happiness looked like anymore. She'd thought she'd had it in the city, but since coming home to Montana, she wasn't so sure. Had she ever been really happy? Her eyes drifted to Heero's handsome face almost of their own volition, and she immediately chided herself. Of course she'd had happy times with him, but that didn't mean she'd been happy.

"I'm not sure what I'm going to do yet," she murmured.

"You don't have to know," Trowa reassured her. "Like Duo said, the W's not going anywhere. And if Wallace doesn't like it, I'll back him off."

Relena smiled at him, grateful for all of his support. "Thanks," she said. She wanted to say something more about the subject, give them some sort of answer now, but she didn't have one. She hadn't thought enough about it. But the prospect of going back to New York, to neutral ground, was appealing. She wouldn't have to see Heero, have to wonder if there might be something worth saving there. She wasn't convinced that there was. Still, though, the quietness of this town spoke to her soul, and she wasn't sure she could leave it again. But if she didn't, did that mean she was willing to keep the W running? Willing to live in the same town as her childhood sweetheart?

"Relena." Todd Black stood just behind Wufei, and she tensed at her name rolling off his tongue. "I thought maybe we could talk. You know, catch up. I'm sure you don't plan to spend all day here."

She wasn't sure what to say, other than that she didn't want to be anywhere near him. She needn't have worried; Heero turned in his chair toward Todd and said, "She's not going anywhere with you, Black. Get out of here." There was a growl in his voice that a smarter man would've acknowledged, but Todd was stubborn and proud.

Todd's eyes iced down into thin slits and he said, "Shut up, Yuy. You don't have any right to tell me to get out of here. And besides, she's not your girlfriend anymore. She dumped your ass and ran away across the country to get away from you."

An indignant gasp escaped from Relena's throat, and before Heero could respond, she said, "That's not why I left, Todd!"

"No? Sure seemed like it to me," he said, a sneer on his face. Heero started to get up, but Relena tugged on his sleeve until he sat down again.

"I needed to get away from here and clear my head," Relena said, though she wasn't sure why she was trying to explain things to Todd. It wasn't like she owed him an explanation.

"Clear your head? In New York City?" Todd laughed, and Wufei and Trowa both started to get up. "Oh give me a break. It's not like you guys are her bodyguards," Todd said. He looked down his nose at Relena. "You're wasting your time with these guys, Relena. They're a bunch of has-beens and never-weres." The cocky grin on his face was just about more than Relena could stand, and she thought if Heero decided to get up and take a swing at him, she wouldn't hold him back.

But Heero just stared at the table, and when Todd moved off laughing, he got up and walked away. Relena frowned and got up to follow him. Heero left the building and headed toward the road. "Heero? Where are you going?" she called out, hurrying to catch him.

He stopped, his shoulders stiffening. "For a walk."

She bit her lip. Todd's badmouthing had gotten to him, she guessed. "Todd's an idiot," she said, her voice soft. "You shouldn't listen to anything he says."

"He's right." He turned to look at her, and the ice in his eyes froze her to the ground. "I'm nothing but a busted-up has-been."

Anger flared wide through her body. "No, you're not," she said. She took a couple steps closer to him. "It's not your fault that Forge fell. It was an unfortunate accident, yes. But you're not a has-been. That injured knee doesn't change who you are."

Heero stared at her, and the emotions that flickered through his eyes stalled her heart. Didn't he believe her? She needed, all of a sudden, for him to believe her. "You really believe that," he said. There was a hushed question in his tone.

She nodded emphatically. "I do, with all my heart," she said. "You are a great guy, Heero. Your worth isn't measured by how fast you can rope a steer. It never was," she added. When his gaze turned warmer, she bit her lip. Had she said too much? He took a step closer to her, and when his right hand came up to touch her cheek, a tiny sigh escaped her lips and she let herself, just for a second, enjoy his touch.

"Thank you," he whispered. He held her eyes for several moments, then dropped his hand and stepped back, out of her space. She drew in a breath, shaky and elated and longing all at once. "That means a lot to me," he said.

"You're welcome." She didn't know what else to say, or if there was anything else she could say. The tiny spell of intimacy faded as fast as it had come on, and Heero jerked his head back at the church.

"If you want to go, no one will stop you," he said. "One of the guys can you take you back to the Dragon."

"Okay." She nodded, and asked, "Where are you staying right now?" She was ashamed then that she hadn't bothered to ask him before this. She certainly hadn't cared a couple of nights ago where he'd gone.

"With Trowa," he said. A small smirk played across his lips. "I think he's the only one in town who would take me in."

She smiled, feeling shy about conversing so normally with him. "Well, with that attitude of yours..." she teased, hoping he wouldn't take it the wrong way. She desperately wanted to be normal with him again.

His eyes locked with hers. "Yeah, I can be a jerk sometimes," he said, the smirk spreading. "Especially when my temper gets in the way."

"You have a temper?" She held her eyes wide, an expression of feigned surprise crossing her lovely face. Heero's smirk turned into the smile she hadn't realized she'd been missing something fierce.

"Oh, yeah. And it gets the best of me a lot of the time." His expression turned serious. "Especially when I'm around a certain girl with honey-blonde hair."

Relena took in a quiet breath as the air around them seemed to prickle with electricity. Heero took a step toward her, closing the small distance between them. She matched him with a step of her own. "Heero, I..."

"It's okay," he murmured. He reached to gently run his hand over her hair, and the warmth in his blue eyes chased away the lingering chills of doubt, the insecurity that had been holding her captive. She took another small step and put her hands on his broad shoulders, needing to feel him, to lean against his solid form. A small groan slipped from his mouth, and with it he wrapped his arms around her waist, drawing her tightly to him. Relena's breath was shaky and she felt like collapsing, knowing that if she did, he wouldn't let her fall.

"Relena?" Ken Wallace's voice was a bucket of ice water, and she jumped, feeling Heero's arms tighten more around her, heard his low murmurs of reassurance in her ears. "I need to talk to you," Ken said.

"No, you don't," Heero said. "This isn't the time or place, Wallace."

"The hell it isn't." Ken's voice was a low stern tone. "You don't own the place, Yuy. Now let the little woman talk."

Heero let go of Relena, and when she met his eyes, she saw the firm resolve in them, and nodded. He turned to Ken, who instinctively took a step backward. "She's not a 'little woman,' Wallace," he growled. "And she's not going to discuss the W with you right now. Maybe not ever."

"Again, you don't own the place," Ken said. He was putting up a brave front, but took another step back when Heero took one forward. "Go ahead, knock me down again. I'll have you arrested for assault!"

"What's going on out here?" Trowa's loud voice cracked across the yard, and Heero drew up short. Relena came to his side, tucking her arm through his in a show of solidarity. Trowa glanced once at them; surprise flashed across his lean face, and then he focused on Ken. "What's with the shouting, Wallace? We're at a funeral luncheon."

"I know that." Ken shot a glare at Heero. "I wanted to remind Relena that I need to talk to her about the W, and Yuy started coming after me."

"He did not," Relena said. She took a step forward, directing her next words to Trowa. "Heero told him this wasn't the place or time to talk, and Ken said he was going to have him arrested for assault." Her voice was clear and strong, and she felt Heero move to stand beside her, one hand resting on the small of her back.

Trowa looked at Ken. "I don't see any need to arrest Yuy, do you, Wallace? Looks to me like he's just trying to protect Relena from your unwanted attention." The tone of his voice bordered on steel, and Ken's jaw tightened. "I'm sure you don't want to cause a ruckus out here," the sheriff added.

"No, I guess not." Ken turned toward Relena and Heero for a moment. "I will be seeing you, darlin'."

Heero opened his mouth to say something but Relena nudged him gently in the side, not wanting him to get into trouble with Trowa for prolonging the situation. Ken walked away, going over to the parking lot and getting into his big Ford truck. The three of them watched him drive away, and Trowa nodded once to them before going back inside the church. Relena released a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding, and looked up at the stoic cowboy next to her.

"You're not going to sell to him, are you?" Heero's voice was low.

"No. I wouldn't sell the W to him if he were the last cattle rancher on the planet," she said. He smirked, and with that simple gesture, he helped her relax all the way again. But she wasn't sure where this left the two of them. Just because they'd had a small break-through in their strained relationship didn't necessarily mean any of the old hurts had been healed. And she knew she was responsible for most of those hurts, for leaving him instead of staying.

"So." Heero was watching her with calm intensity.

"So," she agreed, not knowing what else to say.

He reached out to take her hand and squeezed it. "I care about you," he said. The honesty in his voice was soothing. "I know it's been eight years, and plenty of stuff has happened since we were together, but how do you feel about getting to know one another again?"

A warm smile brushed across Relena's lips, and she nodded. "I think that would be great," she said. "And I'm sorry—"

"Let me stop you right there." Heero tipped her chin up. "What's done is in the past. I want a fresh start with you. I'm not concerned with what happened eight years ago. You needed space. I get that."

Tears tickled her eyelids, and she fought to hold them off. How could he just forget about the betrayal? The pain of losing her? "I did, but it wasn't right, leaving you with no warning. It just felt like my life was collapsing in on me, and I didn't know what to do." She wiped a stray tear away. "Dad and I were fighting all the time, and he wanted me to stay on the ranch and never try college or anything. And then he sold Sky, and I just, I couldn't do it anymore." The last few words came out as a whisper, and Heero tugged her closer to him, bringing his left arm up to hold her to him.

"I should've protected you better," he said.

"It wasn't your fault," she protested. "I should've stayed and stood up to him. It wasn't his life to run."

"Sounds like there are things we both should've done," Heero said, and she looked up at him, into those blue eyes that had haunted her dreams, eyes that she instinctively trusted. "But like I said, it's all in the past. We can go slow, figure out each step before we take it."

"That sounds wonderful," she said. "I thought about you all the time, every day. I thought about coming back, but didn't know what to say to you, or if you'd even want to see me."

He nodded. "I thought about chasing after you and dragging you back home. But I was so mad, so angry, that even if I'd gone after you, it wouldn't have gone well." He let a small smile slip across his face. "But you're here now, and we've got all the time in the world."

"We do," she agreed. In the back of her mind, she knew she couldn't stay here forever. Even if she decided this was what she really wanted, she had a life in New York to pack up and get rid of. And Dorothy and Sylvia wouldn't let her go without a fight. They'd been the Tempting Trio for almost eight years now, and it would be hard to break that up. Still, though, this felt so right, here with Heero's arm around her, his chin resting on her head.

"I won't let Black or Wallace bother you," he said. She nodded against his chest.

"I know you won't." It was amazing how readily she trusted him; she knew then that she hadn't ever stopped trusting him. His talk with her in Wufei's truck earlier had sparked something very deep within her, something she thought she'd buried long ago. After all, she was ready to embark on a new relationship with him. She didn't, not for one second, believe it wouldn't be without problems. She still had issues she was working through, and he clearly did, too, or Todd's comment wouldn't have worked him up so much. But at least they would be trying together, and she knew they were stronger together.

"I guess we better go back inside," he finally said, after a minute or so. "I don't want anyone to come looking for us."

"I don't think Trowa would let anyone come, although Dorothy can be amazingly stubborn," she told him. She'd rather go for a walk or something with him, start getting to know him again.

"Not unlike someone else I know," he teased, his tone gentle.

"Ha ha," she said and smiled up at him. His eyes twinkled, and she couldn't believe how much she'd missed this, missed _him_.

"After you," he said, gesturing for her to walk on ahead. But she took hold of his hand and made him walk alongside her. The sky was growing dark; the radio in Wufei's truck had been going on about a storm coming in, and from the looks of it, it was going to be fierce. She shivered and felt Heero's hand squeeze hers gently.

When they walked back into the building, it seemed like everyone was staring at them, and she had to force away the blush that crawled across her face. _It's okay. I can handle this. _They made a beeline for their friends, and Heero held her chair out for her. Dorothy was watching her with a scowl, and she knew she'd have to talk to both of the New Yorkers, tell them how she was feeling about being out here. Because at least right now, she was feeling like this was where she needed, and wanted, to be.

"Are you okay?" Hilde asked, leaning over. "We saw Ken follow you guys out." Her eyes flicked to Heero for a moment. "Is _he_ okay?"

Relena smiled. "Heero's fine," she whispered, "and so are we, at least for right now." She wasn't sure how this was going to go, trying to get reacquainted with Heero again, and to be honest, her stomach kind of hurt thinking about it. But a glance at him, seeing the twinkle in his blue eyes, settled things down.

"Really." Hilde's eyes widened, and a wicked smile crossed her mouth. "Do tell."

"Not here," Relena whispered. She didn't want to draw any unnecessary attention to her or him. In fact, she really wanted to get out of here. She had no appetite, even though she knew the food would be good. She glanced at Heero again, and this time there was a flash of concern in his gaze. He leaned over to Trowa and said something. Trowa nodded and handed Heero a pair of keys.

"Relena." Her name rolled off his tongue as he got to his feet. "Let's get out of here."

She smiled, thinking how nice it was that he could still read her mind. She stood and took the hand he offered to her, knowing exactly how this looked to everyone there, and trying hard not to care. They probably all thought she was hooking up with him out of grief or for a roll in the hay. Well, let them think whatever they wanted. She just wanted to get out of here and away from all the prying eyes and wondering stares.

Heero helped her up into Trowa's big truck and got in the driver's seat. He turned down the music, wrinkling his nose at the wailing sound coming from the speakers. Relena hid a smile behind her hand; Heero's musical taste didn't include indie rock. She knew Sylvia's, did, though. Heero drove out of the parking lot and turned toward the right, away from town. They rode quietly for a bit, until he passed the road to the Spotted Dragon.

"I'm staying-"

"I know." Heero gave her a quick reassuring smile. "But there's something I want to show you. Then I'll take you back to Wufei's."

"Okay." She leaned back in the seat, content to ride along with him. She was content, too, to see just where this thing between them was going.


End file.
